Piper's Gold
by Adagio To A Wolf
Summary: A Lioness's Heart/Lady Wolf fic. Set after "Bloodhound," "In My Eyes," and "Sunlight and Shadows," this story is set during Midwinter and we are introduced to a member of the Piper's family. Things go awry when that person is kidnapped. Plot-links to Bk.3
1. Chapter 1: Nightmare

This chapter was written by Lioness's Heart. We own nothing.

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**From the Journal of Rosto the Piper,  
King of the Rogue  
Resident of the Lower City , Corus, Tortall**

December 15, 247

Before Court

I don't know how much longer I can do this. I can't even sleep properly anymore. Beka hasn't noticed that yet, as far as I can tell, thank Mithros. I've had nightmares off and on for almost three weeks, and every night for the last five days. Last night's was the worst yet.

I was sitting on my throne at the Dove, like I usually would at Court, but it was different. It was far darker. There was a man in front of me, kneeling with a rusher on either side. Beka was watching me from a few feet away. I don't know who the cove was, or what he was kneelin' in front of me for, but I knew he was in trouble with the Rogue, and by the look of things, in trouble with the King's Law as well. Beka wanted him to stand trial as much as I wanted him dead.

"Don't kill him, Rosto. Remember, King's justice first, then Rogue's justice," she said. I could feel the Rogue straining at his chain, he was breaking my hold. It's hard to put it, but imagine the Rogue is a vicious animal, one that will kill and destroy everything in sight with cold logic and a terrifying fury. Well, that was what was on a chain in my mind. That single chain holds back my monster, the man I become when my heart goes cold. Everything was enveloped by black for a second, then it was all Rogue and no Rosto.

"You will not stay my hand!" I said. I was hearing it as if I was outside my body. I stood from the throne, a dagger instantly in my hand. I moved toward her, forgetting the cove on the floor for a moment. She lunged and missed when I dove out of the way. We fought for several moments, until I had her up against a wall with a dagger pressed against her throat. To my Rogue mind, there was a delicious sweetness, the kind you feel when you know your enemy is cornered and going to die. Guardswoman Cooper's neck was perfect: an expanse of warm, soft, white skin, vulnerable to the very sharp knife in my hand. But Cooper's eyes softened, and the blue was no longer ice-frigid, but the blue eyes I looked for when I wake. Those blue eyes were a sucker punch to the gut of the Rogue, and suddenly the beast was back in its chains.

In an instant, the Rogue was gone and I was Rosto again. I dropped the dagger. As soon as I did, one of hers was in her hand. 'NO!' part of me screamed! She tricked me. She used those Beka eyes to trick me! Beka's a good actress, no doubt her love has been a farce and I was being manipulated. The Rogue tried to break free, hating that he had been chained in so tricky a way. The chains broke, but not fast enough. She reached up with the dagger and slashed it toward my throat.

I sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily with a light sweat covering my body. I checked myself quickly, taking stock: no cuts, no bruises, not even a love bite from Beka. I checked the dagger that I had lodged between my mattress and the bed frame (Beka didn't like it under the pillow, said it made the pillow lumpy – I never noticed). I took several deep breaths then glanced at Beka's sleeping form next to me. She didn't stir.

I silently slipped from the bed, trying to calm my breathing. It was then that I really got to thinking. Maybe I was, and still am, being paranoid, but I can't help but wonder if I've made a mistake in getting close to Beka. What if she gets tired of me, or she's just biding her time? I owe her my life and sometimes I can't help but wonder if she'll take it.

I also wonder how much longer I can keep up the illusion. As far as I know, she doesn't know that I've been having trouble sleeping. But it's just that. An illusion. I'm tired, even if it doesn't show. Without a descent night's sleep in three weeks, I'm a prime target to get killed in a challenge right now.

I sat down at the desk a few feet away and rested my head in my hands. For a few minutes, I managed to clear my mind enough to calm myself. I heard a slight rustle behind me and flinched, glancing toward the bed. Beka was watching me, those blue eyes of hers worried.

"Rosto, are you alright?" She sounded just as worried as her eyes told me she was. I nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was nothing. Go back to sleep," I told her. She propped herself up on her elbow and gave me a knowing look, with a single eyebrow quirked and all. Pox. She knows me far too well.

"You was sleeping like the dead a few minutes ago, and 'nothing' just woke you up. I know you better than that, Master the Piper. And you should know better than to lie to me, Rosto." She continued to give me that look as she spoke. It was very unnerving, to tell the truth. When Beka's mad, those eyes of hers have an ancient look to them, like they really are ghost eyes. Now, when Guardswoman Cooper is mad, they're pools of ice, but not my Beka's. Actually, I think Beka's eyes are scarier when she's mad than Guardswoman Cooper's.

"It's nothing for you to worry about," I told her. She frowned at me and slipped out of the covers and walked over to me. She placed a warm hand on my cheek, which just made me shiver as my body realized how cold the room was. I saw goosebumps run over her skin when her feet touched the floor. During the winter, these rooms can get cold, and there isn't much that can be done about it, as rugs don't help a bit. It's not awful for me, I grew up in colder, but for Beka, this was just a hair too cold. I closed my eyes for the briefest moment, trying to pull my thoughts together. When I opened my eyes again, Beka moved her hand slightly, bringing my gaze up to meet hers.

"If you don't want to be honest with me, I _will_ sleep in my own bed tonight," she stated. _Now, why would she go and leave? Why is it the thought of sleeping alone always makes a man go against his good common sense? I've slept alone before. And so has she. But it's cold and she'd have to walk up the cold steps, and then sleep in a bed with only that constellation cat. And magical though he may be, he's about as big as a pillow and ain't going to keep her warm. Not like I could anyway, _I thought. Beka knows how to get what she wants, particularly from me. She wanted me to tell her what was wrong, and she was going to threaten me with being alone for the rest of the night. I have no doubt that she would make it longer if I refused to tell her.

"It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare," I averted my eyes again, almost feeling ashamed to admit that I had had a nightmare. Beka made me look at her again, but her face had softened just a little bit.

"What kind of nightmare, Rosto?" Her voice was low and tender. She knew I was upset, and probably didn't want to add to it. Not too much, at least.

"A dying nightmare."

"Oh." She frowned a little, then withdrew her hand. She moved back to the bed, turning just before she got there. "Who died in it, by the way?" I hesitated, wondering whether or not to tell her. If I told her, maybe she would make sense out of it – people with the Gift were good at that, right? Kora could certainly make sense of cards and general dreams. Maybe it was intuitive and came with the terrain? The Gifted are often god-touched. But Beka was also the reason for the nightmares, even if she didn't mean to be. I'm not entirely sure I can trust her. I want to, but there's a part of me – the Rogue, I think – that says that it's a bad idea, that I'm just putting myself into more danger. Beka brought my attention back to her after a moment.

"Rosto, who died in it?" I glanced up at her and sighed. I knew I wasn't going to get out of this without telling her; she would get me to tell her one way or another.

"I did." Beka blinked at me for a moment, then nodded. She sat down on the bed and looked at me. It took her a few minutes to speak again, but I could tell that she was thinking. I think she was weighing the ideas, but I'm still not sure. The fact that I died in my dream seemed to intrigue her for a minute. But Beka's smart. As far as other Rogues go, I'm not scared of anyone enough to have nightmares about them. The one person who could stop the King of Rats is the Queen of Rat Catchers. The Dog, the Terrier, the Bloodhound: Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper. She knew it. I knew it. The Rogue knew it. Guardswoman Cooper knew it. She knew that the person to kill me in my dream was her, acos she was the only person alive who could.

"You know I would never take advantage of my position, Rosto, and neither would anyone else in the inn. I've heard of this happening to other people – they have dreams like that, and it's like a part of them says that sommat's putting them in danger in a part of their life. It don't always have to do with whatever the dream is about, aside from the main event, though." When I didn't say anything, Beka frowned at me. "Rosto?"

Some part of their life was putting them in danger. Well, there was a very subtle way of saying the Rogue was dangerous to my life, since it was Rosto that died in my dream, and not the Rogue. But it could just as easily be Beka and Guardswoman Cooper, or maybe just that whole lifestyle. To keep her from fretting about me too much I spoke up.

"What? Sorry. I was just thinking." I sighed and got up from the chair. I offered Beka a slight smile as I climbed back into the bed. She gave me a slightly exasperated look, but slipped under the covers again. She snuggled up to me and I slipped my arms around her. She was asleep again in a few minutes, but it took me a long time to get back to sleep.

Even with the questioning I got this morning, I don't think she has figured out that I've had so much trouble sleeping. I don't even know what she would think of me if she found out. I'm almost afraid to say anything about, but I know that she'll either find out on her own or I'll have to tell her eventually. I know I didn't get very much sleep after that nightmare, and I'm still a little tired.

I fell asleep at breakfast, too. That was rather interesting, and rather embarrassing, for both me and Beka. I had my head propped up by my hand, and was picking at the Yamani roll I'd chosen to eat for breakfast. I knew my eyes were drooping, but I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until Aniki shook me.

"Rosto, wake up." I jerked up and looked around for a second, only to see that everyone in the room was watching me, even Corcoran and the kitchen gixies.

"What?" I glared at all of them. Kora started giggling, and both Ersken and Phelan were fighting to hide their amusement. Beka and Aniki were shaking with silent laughter. When I continued to send them dirty looks, they just laughed harder. I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest, giving my breakfast a surly look.

Finally, Ersken stopped laughing and looked up at me. "Beka tire you out last night, Rosto?" As soon as that was out of his mouth, Beka stopped laughing and turned a brilliant shade of red. Like Guardswoman Goodwin, Beka was one of the few people who could keep Ersken in line. Comments like that were dangerous in public and she was looking daggers at him. I felt spots of pink burning high on my own cheeks as I gave Ersken an even dirtier look. He flinched a little and drew back.

"No, you nosy little ducknob. If you had bothered to check, there was no string around the doorknob, and you have no business asking about that. Am I understood?" Ersken nodded fervently, his eyes wide as saucers. I think he may have been a little scared of me right then…

I almost feel bad that I snapped at him, even if he didn't have any business bringing that up. My temper's been on a short leash recently, being as I've been so tired.

I finished the Yamani roll in front of me, and escaped upstairs to my room. I dozed for a while before I dropped off into a deep sleep. It was the first dreamless sleep I've had in almost a week, and I enjoyed it. The next thing I knew, Beka was shaking me. I knew right then something was off: I can usually hear people coming. I'm that light a sleeper during the day. So her shaking me awake was weird. Add that to the fact that she was dressed in her Dog gear and I felt the bile of fear run up my throat: had she come to kill me?

"Rosto, you've been sleeping since breakfast. Are you alright?" I yawned, stretched a little, and nodded.

"Fine. I was just a little tired, that's all," I said nonchalantly. Beka watched me suspiciously for a moment while I got up, as if she thinks I'm hiding something from her. I get the feeling that she knows there's something going on that I'm not telling her about, and she's not exactly pleased that I haven't told her by my own choice.

I wandered over to my clothespress and began sorting through the shirts on top. I glanced at Beka, giving her a mischievous grin, just to let her know that she didn't have anything to worry about. I nodded to the clothespress.

"Do you want to pick tonight?" I asked her. She smiled faintly and walked over to stand next to me. After looking through it for a minute, she pulled out a brilliant red-gold, one that I haven't worn to Court yet. I admired the color for just a moment before putting the shirt on the bed and giving Beka a kiss on the cheek. "Be careful," I told her. She nodded.

"I will." I watched her go before changing, then settled down to write this before I head to Court. I'd probably best get going, I suppose…

After Court

Bold Brian has certainly lived up to his name. He is far too bold for his own good. If I was anything like Kayfer, that cove would probably be dead now. And if he wasn't a friend of Aniki's, as well as a good rusher, he would be in deep trouble. I may have him go with Ulsa and work with her for a while if he keeps this up.

A couple of weeks ago, he came to see me in the middle of the night with some urgent Rogue business. He was banging on the door like he was dying or something. Since it took me a minute to get to the door, he was waiting expectantly, and nervously. He glanced at me, who was watching him sleepily, and apparently, by pure accident (which I highly doubt) saw Beka's silhouette in the bed. She's not particularly curvy for a mot, but a mot's a mot, and when one is in a man's bed, it's plain obvious. Add to that the fact that I didn't have a shirt on, and well, he put two and two together to make five really fast. Thankfully, it was impossible for him to tell who it was, else, there would have been a problem, and maybe even a very dead rusher if he had shared who it was with the others. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then walked away. Clearly, his Rogue business was not that important.

The next day I was bombarded with cries (from Brian, and a couple of other rushers) of 'the Piper's got a new mot!' Immature little buggers that they are, they pestered me about who she was. I just glared at them, which should have been a sign that they were to be quiet, but that only made it worse. I hate them sometimes, I really do.

Now, tonight was bad. Worse because I was tired, and they took advantage of that, well, more so, Brian did. He's taken to teasing me about once a week, and it's very irritating. As I've mentioned, I'm not sleeping too well. And they take my exhaustion as a sign that I've spent the night 'romping' a little too enthusiastically and a little too long with "The Mot." Which I haven't, they just think that. Bugnobs. Tonight, he wandered up to the platform and stood there until I sighed and turned my attention to him.

"Yes, Brian?" He shifted slightly, as if he was ready to run if I got mad.

"Well…we were just wondering if you and your mot were going to have any children. I mean, if you've been together for more than six months, then you're settling down, ain't you? And if you're this tired, surely business is getting done?" If it wasn't coming from Brian, it would have been considered innocent or a gentle jest that I didn't look too awake. But coming from Brian it was just plain crude. The scummer. I just stared at him, raising one eyebrow slightly. Reed Katie walked up then, glanced from me to him.

"Is Brian asking you about your mot again?" She sighed. "Jinglenob! We were goin' t' do that together this time!" Brian shrugged. My court is insistent on embarrassing me. They are far too jovial and not nearly respectful enough of the Rogue's power.

"Did you ever wonder if you'd end up like Lockhorn, Rosto? Did you know that most Rogues end up either like him or Kayfer? I'm sure you'd prefer the children to bein' dead, wouldn't you?" Brian asked brightly. Well I couldn't very well answer him like I wanted to: _Why yes, Brian. I've been considering announcing to the entire city of Corus that I'm in love with Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper, and it is in fact she who has been keeping me company these cold winter nights. And though twelve children is surely too much for one mot, I wouldn't mind one or two, or maybe four of the little mutts running around the inn. Yes, I've thought about it, and no I haven't mentioned that secret little desire I have for children to Beka yet, because I have dreams that she's going to kill me. But I'm sure everything will be alright and we'll all live happily ever after and you can be the godsfather to our son, whom I intend to name after my mother's father, Jarred. Please, just sit down and don't you worry yourself about my health. _That was what I could have said, but I bit my tongue. I sighed and tried to ignore him, but he just wouldn't go away.

Finally, realizing that he wasn't going to get much of a rise out of me, he got annoyed and started muttering under his breath. "Thinks he's a clever little spintry, acos he thinks he's outsmarted me. But I'm not stupid, I know what's going on…" That was the final straw. I stood up on the platform and took several slow, perfectly measured steps toward him.

"You are stupid, Brian. What did I tell you about calling me a spintry. Let's get a few things straight. One, do I look like the kind of cove who wants a dozen children running around my inn? I think not. Two, I am not Lockhorn, or Kayfer, and will not be compared to either of them. Three, you're going swimming." Brian paled as I walked toward him, and backed away. I made a single lunge and grabbed him by the ear. He yelped and struggled to get away, not that it helped him any. I glanced at Aniki. "You're in charge. I have something to attend to." I held him by his hair, by his ear, and I hauled him with me, like his own ma would've done. Not only that, but he whined and struggled like a child that was about to get the strap.

He was kicking and screaming like I was going to murder him. I was just going to throw him in the river. And although the River is cold this time of year, it wouldn't kill him. If anything, a bit of cold shock would make him stronger. Possibly even smarter. Besides, a swim in the river, well, it wasn't like that was a death sentence like it was under Kayfer. He killed them, _then_ tossed them in the river. He grabbed everything he could get a hold of as I was hauling him toward the Olorun, but nothing helped. He was yelling at the top of his lungs, too, and may have been kicking, but he hadn't even thought about kicking me until we were in sight of the river. That was not a smart move, and if I hadn't gotten control of myself in time, he would have gotten slugged for kicking me in the ankle when I was mad.

"Ow! Brian, will you stop that! You're just making it worse!" I told him. He, unfortunately, was not listening. He was still trying to pry my fingers from his ear. I glared at him, then decided that it was time to go. I let go of his ear, much to his relief, grabbed him by the front of his shirt this time, and started dragging him towards the river again. He kept struggling, though he knew it was useless, because I'm stronger than he is, and I had the upper hand.

Not too far from the river, we ran into Beka and Goodwin. Ersken must have been off getting something, because Tunstall and Achoo were coming up behind them. I paused slightly as we got to them.

"Evening, Guardswoman Goodwin, Cooper, Guardsman Tunstall," I said pleasantly as I dragged Brian past the small group. "If you'll excuse me, someone is in need of a swim." With a cheery wave to the Dogs, I walked off. I didn't hear a peep out of them, but I know they were talking about if afterwards. They just watched.

Finally, once at the Olorun, I pulled Brian in front of me, to the point where, if I let go, he would fall into the water below. "Do not call me a spintry again. If you do, I will come up with a more creative way to make you stop, understand?" He nodded. "Good. Have fun." And with that, I let go. He fell into the river, and created a large splash. I heard a bark, from a canine dog (Achoo, no doubt) and then the guffaw of Goodwin, and the quiet rumbling chuckle of Tunstall. Beka saw me and shook her head._ I'm not going to chastise you, _her eyes said, but I knew she'd ask me what that was all about later.

I brushed off my hands and walked back to the Dove, which went completely quiet when I walked in. Nothing else remarkable happened before I headed up here to my room, though. I get the feeling that almost everyone else was afraid to bother me, in fear of receiving the same fate as Bold Brian, who returned shortly before I came upstairs, sopping wet. I will say this – tonight was an interesting night. Ah, here comes Beka. No doubt she's finished in her own journal.

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AND THE MISCHIEF CONTINUES!! Reviews are always appreciated!

Lioness's Heart and Lady Wolf

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	2. Chapter 2: Cider

Lady Wolf wrote this section. The realm of Tortall belongs to Tamora Pierce. We just play in her world.

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Being an Excerpt from the Journal of Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper  
Provosts Guardswoman, The Lower City, Corus.

December 15, 247

After Watch

It's been odd these past few weeks. Whether to offset the amount of rain we had in the summer, the Gods have taken it upon themselves to freeze the city of Corus . Mercifully, we've yet to have snow, but it shouldn't be too far off now. This night was an interesting one.

First interesting thing that happened was I managed to surprise Rosto out of his sleep before I left for watch. He usually sleeps like a cat: one ear and one eye cracked. But not only did he not hear me curse my way down the stairs, but he didn't hear when I bluntly opened his door. Seeing him curled up asleep reminded me of that time in Port Caynn when a death sleep had caught him. He's rarely ever that exhausted and it was weird seeing him there, just sleeping. I sat there beside him on the bed, with Pounce watching me from the door.

_Something wrong with him? _Pounce mews quietly, so as not to wake Rosto.

"He's asleep. I don't think he heard me." I say quietly to Pounce. Pounce walks over and sniffs at Rosto.

_Gainel has him in a dreamless sleep. _I often find it unnerving when my cat refers to the Gods by their names, like he's known them all his life. I dunno how many folk are on first name terms with the Gods, but I ain't one of them, and I find it odd that Pounce is.

"Gainel may have him in a deep sleep, but attention unpaid is a grave half-made." I said looking down at Rosto. I almost didn't want to wake him; he looks that different when he's asleep. The hard lines of his mouth, which is so often in a wicked grin and a half-sneer, those lines disappear and mouth and lips take on that petal-softness they have when he's playing his pipes. His eyes aren't nearly so calculating, and the harshness all but disappears from his face. He still has the scars he's earned in battle, but they look so much less dangerous and harsh when he's asleep.

_I believe you were about to wake him up. I know you want to take care of him, Beka. But he's the Rogue and his day is about to start, just like yours. Him being asleep like this is dangerous for him. A slow rusher is a dead rusher. Nothing's slower than sleep. _Pounce rubs his head against my hand and then against Rosto's side. Pounce is right: Rosto does need to wake up, and much as I was loathe to do it, I shake Rosto awake. He seemed surprised to see me there.

"Rosto, you've been sleeping since breakfast. Are you alright?" I ask him as he stretches and yawns. Pounce disappeared from the room. He would wait for me downstairs, no doubt hoping to get a tidbit out of Cookie.

I give him a disbelieving look when he says he's fine. He doesn't answer me truthfully, and I can tell he's trying to hide something. Perhaps his own weakness? His own fears? He's afraid of something, but he won't admit it. Rogues aren't supposed to show fear.

He let me pick the shirts he'd wear tonight. Like Lockhorn and Ulsa, Rosto's gotten to using his share of the Rogue's cut to buy pretty and flamboyant shirts. He's always got a few simpler ones in more muted colors, but those stay in a box under his bed, for when he needs to do something that involves hiding. He's also got one or two of the simpler ones up in my room, being as he's not that much bigger than me, if anyone sees those shirts, they'd think they were mine. But they're Rosto's. It's just in case anyone gets suspicious of him walking out of my room in the early morning, in the same shirt he was wearing the day before.

He wore red tonight. A bright red-gold, that shimmered in the fading light. That fading light reminded me I had to get the stuffing pounded out of me by Ahuda before I went on Watch. He told me to be careful just as I left and I told him I would. In all honesty though, I'm not the one who was caught napping.

Well, Pounce had in fact been begging food off of one Cookie's kitchen girls. They all call him a handsome lad, and he loves winking at them with his purple eyes, which just makes them titter and squeal. "Come on, Pounce. We've got a walk to go on." He jumped off the table as I opened the door.

Poundings with Ahuda weren't nearly so miserable today: Ersken and I are so used to fighting side by side that we teamed up for all of five minutes, and managed to land a blow each to Ahuda. I think it was just that Ahuda wasn't expecting to get double-teamed; once she caught her bearings she threw us both on our tails, whipping our legs out from under us. Still, it's getting to the point where I know we're getting better. At least Ersken and I are.

Watch was interesting. We walked as a whole set on our way to the Dockmarket, which is considerably less busy in the middle of winter than it is during the summer, but it was just as much part of our beat as the Cesspool or the Nightmarket. We was about halfway to Market Bridge when we was stopped by one of the older Dog pairs (who can really only patrol the streets) to run for the Carts, as they hauled a gray-bearded man from behind a pile of crates, where there was cards and dice on an upturned crate. Ersken tossed me Achoo's leash as he ran for the cart: Goodwin was just about to go off at him for not hauling Tunstall away from a cart of hot chestnuts fast enough. Goodwin growls.

"Blighter thinks he can avoid us, and the Piper's tax on gambling. Wretch." Grumbles the older Dog, his name is Harcorn. He's good, and he was one of my teachers on how to interrogate.

"Speaking of Stormwing dung," says his partner, Matite (I would swear that's his name) while pointing up the street. There was a taller blonde man in a bright red-gold shirt hauling a kicking and bellering man by the ear. "There's the cart, let's go, Harcorn. I don't want to share this one with the Rogue." He hauls the gray-bearded gambler off up the street, away from Rosto, who had his full Rogue-face on. I took a closer look as Rosto the Rogue strolled in our direction, hauling none other than Bold Brian.

"Evening, Guardswomen Goodwin, Cooper, Guardsman Tunstall," Says Rosto pleasantly as he drags Brian past us. "If you'll excuse me, someone is in need of a swim." And he walks off with a cheery wave, hauling Brian toward the Olorun. There ain't a sound from them as are on the docks watching. Everyone wants to know what the Rogue will do, as well as what the city's finest Dogs are going to do.

Finally, once at the Olorun, he pulls Brian in front of him, murmurs something in his face, and with a jolt, lets Brian fall into the water. I wonder what Brian could've done to deserve a swim in the ice-cold Olorun. No doubt he said something that was a little too bold. I try my hardest to suppress a laugh, feeling rather sorry for the floundering Brian in the river. Tunstall and Goodwin laugh out loud as they watch Rosto clap his hands together and stroll away from the River's edge. He only looked at me once and I could only shake my head at the silliness of it all.

"Should we arrest him? I mean technically, that's a crime." Goodwin can hardly talk through her laughter. She chances a glance at Brian, who's hauled himself out of the water and looks like a wet cat. She bursts out laughing again.

"How's it a crime? Way I figures it, Rosto's gone and done Bold Brian there a favor, teaching him a lesson out of the goodness of his own heart. Why, if you look there, the cove now knows how to swim in the river in the middle of winter." Tunstall isn't laughing nearly as raucously as Goodwin is; it's more of a deep rumble.

Goodwin laughs. "Beka, what do you think? We hunt down the Piper?"

"I'm inclined to agree with Tunstall. To mine eyes, looks like Bold Brian just got himself a swimming lesson. He ain't dead is he? And no doubt, if there was a reason, Brian deserved it. Besides, the way I figured it, the Happy Bag is for instances just like this. We let the Rogue deal with his own folk. And Rosto has happily shown Brian how to swim this fine winters evening." I say to Goodwin, siding with Tunstall being as I don't feel like hunting down Rosto for something as trivial as dumping a living person into the Olorun.

"And what doesn't kill him, will by all means make him stronger. And possibly smarter too!" _No doubt it will. It might just teach Brian to hold his tongue. The bugnob. _Tunstall claps his hands together and proceeds to pat me on the back. "Here, Goodwin, take Achoo's leash. Ersken will be here in a few minutes. I'm going to take Beka here and we'll finish with the Dockmarket and head into the Cesspool from there." Goodwin looks grumpy taking hold of Achoo's leash, muttering something about preferring Pounce instead, but Tunstall is already steering me towards North Bridge .

Just as we're considering crossing North Bridge into the Prettybone district, a woman comes up, wearing a white dress that pushes her peaches out in front of her. She's got a few flowery pins in her hair, shaped like roses, and a bright red shawl around her shoulders. Three guesses as to her profession. She saunters right up to Tunstall and leans her large bosom into his side which makes Tunstall stiffen. _I ain't never seen a doxy that bold as to ask a Dog for his business. _

"Evening," Tunstall manages to croak out, and my mind races to figure out who this doxy is. I take another look at her and can finally place her: Tunstall's reports from while we were in Port Caynn. This is Rose Bride, and she's one of his birdies. I breathe out a small sigh and watch as the woman purrs into Tunstall's ear about a number of interesting things she's learned, all of which are strictly professional. Her profession.

"Miss, is there anything you can tell us that won't turn a seasoned spintry red." I ask her after letting Tunstall squirm. "Information-wise?" Rose Bride is like Pounce, purring and cuddling up to Tunstall, who has become quite the spectacle.

"You're that mot they call the Terrier, ain't cha?" She says, stopping her squirming and wrapping her arms around Tunstall's middle. "You did that Snake case, right?" I nod as she snuggles closer into Tunstall's side and I see him roll his eyes, trying in vain to pry Rose Bride off. "Well, I know it happens all the time, but I heard of two young lads gone missing. Brothers. Beautiful lads, too. They'd be handsome for sure when they got older. Older boy was 8, maybe."

"And his brother," I ask her, feeling my ears prick forward. Children go missing all the time, is a hard truth in the Lower City, but most folk if they're pressed will get rid of one child, not both.

"Little tyke. I've seen him once with his ma. Couldn't have been more than five. She works the flower shop over on Stuvek Street during the season. No flowers in winter, though she's been thinking of getting one of them glass rooms to grow plants in the winter, too." Rose Bride leans up towards Tunstall, murmuring something about being a good birdie with a useful song, and wanting her seeds and her reward. It's getting to the point where it's embarrassing for me to be listening to her.

I carefully pull out my baton, and when she stands on her tiptoes for a kiss, I stick my baton between her and Tunstall, and with a twist, wrench them apart. She glares at me. "Why'd you do that?" She pouts and I give her a glare. She's adamant and unafraid of my glare. I give Tunstall a look and his eyebrow twitches just once.

Just to annoy Rose Bride, whom I imagine is a nuisance to my Dog partner, I wrap my arms around Tunstall's middle and mouth the word 'mine' to her. I pull out a copper noble from Tunstall's pocket, and flip it toward her than hug him again. It takes Tunstall only a heartbeat to figure out what act I've got up my sleeve, and he leans down to put a kiss on my cheek. I wink at Rose Bride, who huffs off.

I pull away from Tunstall, and he exhales. "Mind you, next time she'll probably come at you when you're with Ersken." I tell him, and Tunstall puts an arm around my shoulder as we keep walking.

"You're a godsend, Beka." He says giving me a squeeze. He really needs to stop it now. I don't need folk thinking I'm bedding the Rogue, and one of my Dogs. I channel Goodwin for a second, just enough to put Tunstall back in his place.

"Not really. Acos, if you're not especially well behaved, I'll take a stroll up to Lady Sabine's city lodgings and deliver her my own yarn about how you're up to shenanigans with ladies of questionable virtue." I tell him and I see his face light up at the mention of Sabine, then darken when he hears my 'threat.'

"You haven't spoken to Sabine since Port Caynn." He says, thinking he's caught my bluff.

"I have so. She just ain't told you. And just so you know, Maira of Shang's promised to teach us young Dogs kickfighting. Sabine's "sponsoring" our lessons, meaning she'll be at the Kennel a few times the next month or so." I can see his mouth drop, and I know he's envious of the prospect of us younger Dogs learning Kick-fighting from the Lioness of Shang. "Sounds good, dinnit? Well, I'm telling Goodwin about Rose Bride's information. Together we might manage to keep you and Ersken on your best behavior, won't we?"

He knows I'm not like Goodwin, in which I bark him in line. But that I'm playing a bit with him. He decides to play back with me. "You are spending way too much time with the Rogue. Why, blackmailing your own Dog. Impertinent little minx." He looks miffed. "I'll promise to be good if you'll not tell Goodwin. I'll not have her chastising me like my own ma."

That makes me laugh.

"Weren't your people some highwaymen? Surely your ma scares you more than Goodwin?"

It takes Tunstall only a heartbeat to respond, "My ma's family was bakers."

"Right. Well then, you must have been terrified of your ma, which is completely evident in the amount of pumpkin pastries you ate at my birthday in October." I laugh, enjoying the camaraderie I shared with Tunstall. He's more Goodwin's partner than he is mine. It's moments like these when I see Tunstall as an older brother. A much older brother. Or a favorite uncle. He hugs me again like an older brother would do, and punch him lightly in the side.

"You're being a minx. Come on, it's too cold by the river-front. Let's get a warm cider and then head into the Cesspool."

December 16, 247

Just after breakfast.

Last night, after I got back from watch, I managed to stalk my way up to my room and write in my journal. Just before the Nightmarket closed for the evening, I managed to stop by one of my ma's herbalist friends. I picked up a blend of herbs that used to help Ma sleep back when all she did was worry about us. Duria, the Herbalist, is a woman I trust about as much as I trust my Lord Provost, or Tunstall and Goodwin.

Of course, the herbs weren't for me: they was for Rosto. Usually I don't have to worry about him, but if he's dreaming that I'm gonna kill him, then I dunno. I'd druther not be near him when he's awake (some rushers are saying he's been cranky) and I'd druther not be near him should he start sleep-walking. The tea might help.

When I walked into his room, I had the leaves steeped and hot in a mug on a tray. When Rosto looks up from his bed, his face lights up and then darkens as he sees the drink. "Evening, sir, drink for ya?" I say in my most air-for-brains tone.

"No, sorry. I have a mot. But while she's not here, you might just do," Rosto jokes back, standing up and trying to see into the mug I've got. "Feeling ill, love?" He asks, sniffing the tea with a grimace.

"No." I tell him, putting the tray down on his side table. "Why'd you throw Brian into the River?" I say, trying to change the topic.

"He called me a spintry," Rosto countered quickly. "That tea ain't for me, is it?" He asks, sniffing it again and grimacing again.

"Yes, it is. It's to help you sleep." I tell him, and I can see Rosto look cautious.

"I don't need help sleeping. I slept fine this afternoon." He says, trying to remind me of when I walked in to wake him up.

"Yes, but that was during the day. Normal folk sleep during the night. You need to sleep, and before you argue with me, last night you was shocked out of your sleep by 'nothing' which just so happened to be a nightmare of me killing you. Then you was in a death-sleep all afternoon. Neither is good, Rosto." I put my hand to his cheek.

"Attention unpaid's a grave half-made. You Dogs have that same phrase. How do I know this drink won't mess with my senses?" He asks, looking at the mug warily.

"Firstly, because my ma drank this to keep her worries and nightmares away. However, she was still able to hear Will or Nilo when they started to whimper and cry. Secondly, I'm giving it to you." I extend the mug to him and he still looks at it warily. After a few seconds of silence I take a small sip. "Show of good faith. It ain't poison, if that's what's worrying your paranoid Rogue-mind."

He watches me for a few more seconds, after ascertaining that I wasn't convulsing and dying he takes the mug. "If this puts me in too deep a sleep, we could both get caught. But, that's the least of our concerns. Cheers." He makes a half-hearted toasting motion with the mug and downs it, placing the mug carefully on the nightstand. He looks down at his hands. "I'm not sleepy."

"You ain't listening to me, fool spintry. It's supposed to stop you from dreaming crazy dreams and nightmares, not help you sleep. The sleeping is up to you." I tell him, giving his alabaster cheek a kiss. "I'm cold and I want to sleep."

I told him a bit about what happened while I was on watch, and he told me some of the Rogue stuff that happened (nothing important, just general gossip). After about an hour, he managed to nod off, and he slept the whole night through.

This morning, I felt him wake when the downstairs door slammed open. When someone thundered up the stairs, he turned me quickly toward the wall. "Keep your head down," he whispered in my ear, and then relaxed against my side. When the banging on his door started, he groaned as he hauled himself from the sheets. He was tired, but he was awake.

Brian. The Bold Bugnob! What in the name of the Black God was he doing pounding on the door early in the morning. Didn't he learn nothing the night before!? But Brian and Rosto hiss and seethe at each other about two rushers who never made it back the night before. Just when I think it might be safe, that Brian was just there to talk about Rogue business, I can hear his wolf-whistle and I can tell he's spotted my sleeping form.

"Boss, ain't you going to tell us who that pretty thing is?" and I can imagine Brian's trying right hard to see around Rosto. Rosto shuffles a bit and pushes Brian into the hall, closing the door behind him. I wait, straining to listen. I know I can't turn around just yet. Rosto walks back into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Stay out there, Brian. Can't a man get dressed in some privacy? You want sommat to do, go wake Kora and Aniki. I'll need them both." He says as he closed the door. He sits on the edge of the bed, "Love, I need to deal with this. Wait till I'm gone, before you head out. Talk to Corcoran when you go down and go visit your Da'." He whispers and puts a kiss on my cheek, then another on my mouth.

"Remember what I said about the Rogue ruining the Dove's good floors?" I ask him, and he nods. "Sending Brian to wake Kora won't just ruin the floors, it'll ruin the walls, the doors, and everthing between the foundations and the attic. Wood's flammable, you know. To top it all off, you'll get Brian killed." I see his brain race, and he kisses me once more, grabbing his clothes.

"Bugger doesn't know to stand clear," he mutters, and races out the door. Which makes me laugh. I wait until the racing and thundering on the stairs subsides and the front door slams. There's a soft tap on the door.

"It's Corcoran, miss. His majesty asked me to make you breakfast." Cookie says through the door. "It's safe to come down."

"Thanks, Cookie. I'll be down in a minute." I tell him, change, and set the bed. When I get down the stairs, Cookie's at the counter with hot apple fritters. My favorite.

"His majesty wanted me to ask you if you could escort his new mot, the Lady Dove, back to her house in the Patten District?" Cookie says officially, and I see his eyes flick toward the door. Guards outside. Drat them.

"The Lady Dove?" I say carefully, and Cookie nods. He mouths that he'll explain later.

"Take this over to Mya, will you?" He adds, handing me a basket of jams of jellies. I'm writing this while I'm eating my breakfast, and I can see Cookie nodding at me to head out the back entrance. Very well, I resigned myself, to the Patten District it is.

* * *

Reviews are, as always, appreciated.

Lady Wolf and Lioness's Heart.


	3. Chapter 3: Attention Unpaid

From the journal of Rosto the Piper, King of the Rogue  
Resident of the Lower City, Corus, Tortall

December 16, 247

Before Court

For once, I don't think I'm looking forward to going downstairs for Court. But I still have to go tonight. I have a challenger to take care of: one of my own district chiefs has a problem with the way I'm running things. Turpan of Patten District doesn't like the fact that I've made laws in the Rogue about not having doxies, gambling, and gin in the same room. But, I'll start with last night and this morning and explain how the challenge occurred…

After I was done writing last night, Beka brought me some tea that she said would help me sleep without nightmares. As much as I hate to admit it, I was a bit worried about it for a few minutes. Would Beka have the brass to poison me? I mean, what if the nightmares aren't just my own fear getting the better of me, and she really is just biding her time? I tried to say that I could sleep on my own, but she pulled the "you was shocked out of your sleep by 'nothing,' which just so happened to be a nightmare of me killing you" card. I swear, that mot could get anything out of me if she wanted to.

It worked extremely well, acos, after we'd gone to sleep I was out in a dreamless but light sleep until the door to the Dove banged open the morning. The first thing I did was turn Beka towards the wall – because it was most likely that it was one of my rushers – and whisper in her ear to keep her head down. Within a moment or two, someone was banging on my door, just as I had expected. With a groan I hauled myself out of bed to answer my door. I opened it to see Bold Brian standing right outside, waiting for me to get there.

"What?" I asked. He winced slightly and moved back a pace, trying to keep a serious face.

"Jerom and Dulan never came back from Patten District last night. You sent them to make sure Turpan was following your instructions about having doxies, gambling and gin in the same room," he told me. I paused for a moment, figuring out how long it had been since I had sent them. It had been near the end of Court, after I had gotten back from throwing Brian in the river.

"They haven't come back? You've checked, then?" I questioned him in a low voice. He nodded, as if he was trying to make point that he could actually do his job without me having to tell him exactly what to do. My thoughts jumped straight through what had happened. Turpan, my Patten District chief, has been nothing but trouble in the last few weeks. He hates my laws about gambling, doxies, and gin in the same room. He's been rather offensive, to be honest.

If they never came back, then he was undoubtably up to something. Something I needed to know about, and something that needed to be taken care of _now._ "Fine. We'll have to go to Patten and confront Turpan about this. Yes, you _are_ going with me," I told him before he had even opened his mouth. He frowned.

"Why? I don't want to get thrown in the river again, Boss," he asked, giving me a pleading look.

"Because I said so. I need decent rushers with me, and you know it. Now go downstairs. I'll be down in a few moments," I said, about to close the door again. That was when he shifted and saw past me to where Beka was lying in bed. He let out a wolf-whistle, and practically started jumping up and down with excitement. Had he learned nothing from last night?

"Boss, ain't you going to tell us who that pretty thing is?" He asked, trying to get a better look. I moved in front of him so he couldn't see and put my hand on his chest, pushing him away from the door and closing it behind me.

"Leave her alone, Brian. She's a respectable lady who you have no business talking to. I haven't introduced her to the Court yet because I don't want her to get involved in it and end up either dead because she's the Rogue's mot, or challenging Aniki acos she wants to be my Queen. You remember what happened last time that happened," I said. He paled when I mentioned that. He remembers all too well what happened with Kassie.

"But-" He started, but I cut him off by holding a finger up.

"We'll talk about this later, after I've dealt with Turpan. Not now," I said. I turned to let myself back into my room so I could change but Brian made a move to try to get another look at Beka so he could try to figure out who she was. "Stay out there, Brian. Can't a man get dressed in some privacy? You want sommat to do, go wake Kora and Aniki. I'll need them both," I told him as I shut the door behind me. That cove needs to learn some manners, or at least get some sense knocked into that thick head of his.

After just a moment, I walked over to the bed and sat down next to Beka. I knew Brian was listening just outside the door – I hadn't heard his footsteps walking away. "Love, I need to deal with this. Wait till I'm gone, before you head out. Talk to Corcoran when you go down and go visit your Da." I kept my voice low, though I know how good Brian's hearing is. Finally, the sound of his boot-heels clicking away from my door reached my ears, just as I finished speaking to Beka. I put a soft kiss on her cheek then moved to her lips. When I pulled away, she propped herself up on her elbow, tilting her head slightly.

"Remember what I said about the Rogue ruining the Dove's good floors?" I nodded, frowning slightly. "Sending Brian to wake Kora won't just ruin the floors, it'll ruin the walls, the doors, and everything between the foundations and the attic. Wood's flammable, you know. To top it all off, you'll get Brian killed." _Good grief_, I thought, _she's right! _

I kissed her on the cheek again before getting to my feet. Then I grabbed my shirt, boots, and the strap that kept all of my sheaths and daggers on, thanking Kyprioth that I'd slept in my breeches instead of the shorts I usually sleep in. I raced out the door, pulling my boots on as I went, muttering things under my breath all the while. I don't remember exactly what most of them were, at this point, but they were all directed at the Bold Bugnob himself.

I got to him just in time, and slammed into him with my shoulder, throwing both of us to the ground, right as the door exploded into burnt splinters and charred chunks of wood. I muttered obscenities under my breath as I hauled myself off the ground, brushed myself off and pulled my shirt on.

"What just happened?" Brian asked me rather timidly. I sighed and offered him my hand to help him to his feet.

"You woke Kora out of a sound sleep. She's mighty good at those fire spells, as you can tell. I think she put a tad too much power into it this time," I responded, flicking my eyes at Kora while I was talking. She flushed, panting ever so slightly. Brian nodded wordlessly and disappeared (loudly, I might add) up the stairs to wake Aniki.

"Mind telling us what that was about?" Kora asked. Ersken had his eyebrows raised as he watched me.

"There's sommat going on over in Patten. I told Brian to wake you and Aniki because I need you to go with me. I neglected to tell him to stand clear of the door as I forgot that he didn't know that," I told her. She raised an eyebrow in a good imitation of one of Beka's looks – the one where it's as if she's asking me 'did you, now?' I shrugged. "He didn't get hurt, so it isn't a problem." Kora rolled her eyes at me. "And now I have to replace the door. Nice job on the spell; I only wish that you hadn't used it on the door," I said matter-of-factly. She flushed a brighter red. "I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes." She nodded and I walked off.

I was downstairs, leaning against the counter and talking to Corcoran when Brian came thundering down the steps with Aniki close behind. Kora followed just a moment later, stopping halfway down the steps to turn and say something to Ersken, who, I assume, was at the top of the stairway. As soon as she reached the bottom, I turned back to Corcoran (after very subtly making sure that a certain rusher was listening).

"When Beka comes down for breakfast, would you ask her to escort Lady Dove back to her home in Patten?" I asked. He nodded.

"'Course I will, sir." I thanked him and finished placing my daggers, looping the leather strap around my wrist when I was done.

"Let's go," I said, taking a deep breath and moving towards the door. The others followed me as I set a decent pace towards Turpan's headquarters in Patten District. The trip there was entirely uneventful aside from some of the looks we (me in particular) got.

Turpan's headquarters is an inn and tavern on the far end of the district, opposite of the Lord Provost's house. It's kept by a cousin of the mot who owns the Red Rose, Mistress Turner. I had only visited it once, with Ulsa when I was on duty one night before I became the Rogue. He lives at the inn, too. As we neared the building, I carefully let the Rogue off of his chain, letting him take care of the matter. I entered the inn with Kora, Aniki, and Brian flanking me. The owner, a cove who's several inches shorter than me, scurried over to us. Obviously, he didn't recognize the King of the Rogue when he saw me.

"We ain't open yet," he said fiercely. I turned my gaze on him, and he flinched ever so slightly.

"I'm not here about your business. Get Turpan down here, _now_," I said. My tone was harsh and cold, callous and dark, the Rogue's voice. The cove scampered up the stairs and returned a moment later, stammering apologies and telling me that Turpan would be down in just a moment. So we waited. He took his sweet time making his way down from his room, on the second floor. I had turned partially around to speak with Aniki to pass the time until Turpan decided to grace us with his presence.

"Why, if it isn't Rosuto the Pilferer." His voice resounded from the bottom of the stairs, where he was finally standing. Turpan is a tall cove, just over six feet, and heavily muscled. He has short, dark brown hair and dark grey eyes, a slightly hawked nose, and a scar running down the side of his face. I turned just barely to glare at him.

"My name is _Rosto the Piper_, and you are to address me as _Your Majesty_," I hissed. I somehow managed to keep my voice calm and my face clear. Then I let the Rogue have his way.

"As the high and mighty Rat commands," Turpan returned in a mocking tone, adding an exaggerated half-bow.

"Enough," I said, narrowing my eyes slightly. I was not in the mood to be mocked. "Now, what had you done with my rushers, my little _lopovlu_? The ones I sent to you last night never made it back…" I left the sentence hanging as I started to pace, hands behind me, fingering the knife at the small of my back. Turpan's gaze followed me while as I moved closer, then away. Closer, then away.

"What rushers?" He asked politely. I could see it in his eyes that he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Jerom and Dulan, the two rushers I sent to check up on you. They seem to have disappeared. They never returned home. You know exactly what I mean, Turpan." A silence stretched between us, until Turpan broke it, moving towards me swiftly. Aniki and Brian had their weapons out in an instant and moved in behind me. Kora called up her Gift, making it glitter around her fingertips. I don't fancy being on the receiving end of _that_ again.

"Of course I know what you're talking about, Scanran savage. Why wouldn't I? It isn't like I don't dislike your laws or anything like that," he said sarcastically, looming over me. He's only about three inches taller, but he's still quiet a bit larger than I am. I wasn't scared of him, though.

"That's what I thought," I said frostily. Turpan backed up a little, a bit surprised that I didn't react when he was in my face. "Now, will you tell me what you did to them, or will we have to settle this at my Court tonight?" His eyes lit up at that.

"The latter would be…acceptable," he muttered.

"Ah. A challenge, then?" I paused, waiting for a nod, which he gave. "So be it. Be at the Dancing Dove at the beginning of Court. Bring a dagger and the bodies of my men," I said menacingly. He nodded curtly, never taking his eyes off me.

I snapped my fingers and pointed – my signal for my rushers to make my point. Kora hit the floor directly in front of him with a spell before taking aim at his chest once more. Aniki and Brian dumped him unceremoniously on the ground. I smirked at him before leaving the building, flipping two copper nobles at the owner for the damage of his inn. There was silence as I led the others back through the city.

"Rosto, wait up!" Aniki called behind me. I turned around the see that they were far behind me. I sighed and walked back towards them. I just raised an eyebrow and glanced between the three of them. That was when I noticed that all of them were wearing coats and I wasn't. It's not cold enough to bother me.

"You're walking too fast," Aniki told me. I just shrugged. "And that is not how I would have dealt with Turpan," she added in an undertone. I nodded, trying to push my Rogue mind completely away.

"I know," I returned softly, "but that is how the Rogue wanted to handle it." Aniki nodded in turn. "Why don't all of you go ahead? I have a couple of things I want to do," I said in a louder voice. Kora and Brian nodded in agreement, heading off. Aniki put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed before disappearing into the crowd as well. I took a deep breath, watching the mist disappear in front of me when I breathed out.

I glanced at the merchant's stalls as I walked slowly past them. I have yet to figure out exactly what I'm going to give Beka for Midwinter. I have a couple of ideas, one in particular that I like, but nothing solid. It has to be special, though. It's our first Midwinter together and that's very important. Well, it is to me, at least.

It occurred to me while I was walking exactly how long it has been since I last saw my sister. It's been over three years since I saw Angelina face to face, and nearly two since I got that letter from her before I left Scanra. Maybe I should go visit her. No, then I would have to leave my throne in the care of someone else, and I'd be away for a good two months. That is far too long for me to be away from my Court, and from Beka. _Well, _I thought, _the least I can do is to send her a Midwinter gift. I haven't done that in a long time. Besides, it's the least I can do to let her know that I still think about her, and that I'm alright._

I scanned some of the stalls until I saw something I knew Angelina would like. It was a simply carved bracelet made of koa wood from the Copper Isles and inlaid with silver. The starting price for the bracelet was four silver nobles, but I managed to haggle the price down to two and a half, plus two copper nobles. All in all, a decent price, considering that the wood is from the Copper Isles and that it's rare enough there that it's hardly ever imported to Tortall and sold for a reasonable price. After paying for the bracelet, I started back to the Dove, already writing my letter to Angelina in my head. I didn't even realize I was at Palace Way, I was so intent on the letter and watching the people around me. That is, until I felt a cold splat on the back of my head. I whirled, dropping into a fighting stance, minus the daggers. Beka was standing a few feet behind me shaking with silent laughter once again. Her ghost-eyes glittered with mirth as I shifted back out of my fighting stance. I gave her a slightly displeased look, brushing slush off of the back of my neck.

"What was that for?" I asked her. She shook her head, her laughter becoming audible. I waited for a few minutes until she stopped and looked at her expectantly.

"You weren't paying attention, Rosto. Attention unpaid-"

"Is a grave half-made. I know. I was paying attention, Beka, I just have a few things on my mind," I told her. She tilted her head slightly, as if asking what it was that had me. So, I told her, in a low voice.

"I have a challenge tonight. I have to duel Turpan." She frowned slightly, and opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. I was about to continue when I noticed that several people had stopped to stare at us, the Rogue and a Dog standing together during a cold winter day.

"I suppose I should be glad that runty Dogs prefer to play with slush instead of throwing daggers," I said, subtly drawing her attention to our audience. She narrowed her eyes to hide the mischievous glitter that had appeared in them, and picked up the mannerisms of Guardswoman Cooper. Only the look in her eyes told me that she was acting, and, at that, I'm not so sure that it was just an act.

"So, Rat. This district ain't your usual haunt. Planning on turning the good honest Dogs from the reserve Watch onto their ears and tails?" She asked gruffly. My response was a razor thin smile.

"Oh, maybe, or maybe not. It all depends on who else I run into. But, that is for me to know, and for you not to find out," I responded. She raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. Our audience seemed to get bored with the Rogue and the Bloodhound when all we were doing was staring each other down. I would have to show her my gift for Angelina later on, in private, I decided.

Keeping a careful eye on my 'enemy,' I carefully strode off, seeking out the nearest pile of slush. In a single smooth motion, I scooped it up, turned, and flung it at her. It made a satisfying splatter when it hit her (despite the fact that I actually hit her in the face). She gave me a look that told me that I was going to have to watch my back later for slushballs. I couldn't help but laugh at that as I walked away. I know she's going to get me back, somehow, but at least I can savor my victory, for however long it lasts

After Court

Not only do I hurt all over, but I'm lucky to be alive. I shouldn't be alive. I lost to Turpan. I would be dead if it wasn't for an amazing set of circumstances. In all reality, I should be dead, but I'm not.

Because today was an off day for the Dogs, Beka had the opportunity to be present for the challenge, as well. And for once, it wouldn't be on Happy Bag night. Why people think Happy Bag night is a good night to challenge the Rogue is beyond me. I'd already told Beka about the challenge earlier, but I wasn't totally sure she was going to come. She disappeared off to do something after we talked.

It was the first time she's come to my Court on one of her days off or a court day since before Kassie died in August. I think that was because of what happened with Kassie – that it was because of what she saw. And though she won't admit it, I think it scared her more than she's willing to show. She was completely uneasy around me for several days after that, and I know she was thinking about what would happen if I ever stopped loving her and got tired of her. That will never happen, but the idea is the scary part. Just like my nightmares haunt me now, it haunted her then.

Anyway, since I knew about the challenge tonight, I pulled one of the simple black shirts from the box under my bed. I slipped it on before pulling the midnight blue silk shirt I had chosen for the night on over it. My plans were to take off the blue one just before the challenge, to avoid damaging it. I carefully placed each of my daggers until I was practically bristling with knives. I was going to need them if thing were going to go the way I thought they were. After making sure each of them were perfectly placed, I made sure that I was otherwise presentable (fixing my horsetail, making sure that my shirt was straight, etc.). That done, I let myself out of my room and headed downstairs.

Beka was sitting at the counter, much like the last time she had been to my Court, eating from a plate Corcoran had put in front of her. She glanced up at me, but kept eating without saying a word. I didn't say anything either as I moved over to the counter. I gave Beka a quick peck on the cheek and a grin before settling down to eat the bowl of stew Corcoran had put in front of me. The stew was gone in a few moments while we ate in silence and Corcoran went about his business. I gave Corcoran the signal to open the door as soon as I was done.

"Are you worried about the challenge?" Beka asked. I shrugged, though I moved just a little bit closer to her while the door was still closed. I also placed my hand on hers.

"A little," I admitted in a low voice. "Turpan is a bit taller – and stronger – than I am, but I'm faster than him, and marginally more skilled with daggers than he is. From those facts, I think we're evenly matched," I told her. She nodded and I gave her hand a squeeze before moving over to my throne.

A few minutes after the door had been unlocked and propped open just a little, Brian and Katie walked in with a group of their friends, talking loudly. From the looks they shot me, I knew Brian had been blabbering about going with me to Patten and the challenge. Just what I wanted. Aniki took her seat next to me a moment later, offering me a weak smile. She was worried about the impending duel as much as or more than – probably the latter – I was. My eyes flicked around the room, resting on Beka for just the barest second. Our eyes met briefly and she gave me a look that said 'be careful.' I inclined my head ever so slightly, just enough that she would notice, and moved my eyes away. I glanced at Brian, who – for once – wasn't paying the least bit of attention to me.

Then the door to the inn opened with a bang. Turpan and his rushers entered the Dancing Dove, demanding respect just with the air about them. The rushers dispersed among the growing crowd, finding their friends and chatting, though everyone was on edge. Turpan himself walked with measured steps toward my throne, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

"A challenge for your throne, Your Majesty," he hissed.

"Accepted. As challenged, my choice of weapons is hand-to-hand and daggers," I returned in a calm voice. He nodded and moved back while the floor was cleared. I moved fluidly to my feet, shedding the silk shirt as I did so. Moving from the platform, I stretched slowly, flicking my eyes around the room again as I let the Rogue take over. In that instant, things were different, and not just because the Rogue sees things differently than Rosto does. Something in the air was different…

Strangely enough, as I was doing so, Beka's Dog – no – partner, Mattes Tunstall, walked in. He met my eyes, quickly looking away, and made a B-line for Beka, who had moved back to a table in the corner, where no one would cast her more than a passing glance. With Tunstall there, too, I wasn't so sure she would remain obscure for long. He talked with her for a moment, then joined her at the table. They talked quietly until none other than Clary Goodwin appeared by the table. Mithros, what were all of those Dogs doing in _my_ Court? At a duel for the throne – and on their day off – no less! Beka I could excuse, because she lived at the Dove and all, but Tunstall and Goodwin? Why?

By that time, I was done stretching, and could not watch to see what happened over there. Shifting into a solid stance, I drew a dagger from my belt and waited for Turpan to attack. Tension filled the room as everyone waited for one of us to initiate the duel. Suddenly, Turpan surged forward, almost catching me off guard. I dropped into spinning kick, knocking his legs from under him as he charged. He went flying and hit the ground with a grunt.

I turned so that he didn't have a chance to throw a dagger at my back. Turpan got to his feet, glaring at me. We moved, circling each other until he ducked in again, slashing at my stomach. I evaded the blade, moving back before lunging back in and sinking my knife to the hilt into his shoulder. With a yell, he stumbled back, jerking the dagger from my hand. It hit the floor with a clang, making an overly loud sound in the suddenly silent inn.

We stared at each other for a moment, both panting lightly. I pulled another dagger from my boot without taking my eyes off my challenger. In an instant, he was surging towards me again, though, this time with a bloodstain where he was wounded.

Instead of throwing his dagger up and trying to find a weak spot in my defenses, he jerked his knee up between my legs and jammed it into my groin.

Stars exploded in my vision and I doubled over in pain. That was low.

I spouted a number of curses (in Scanran, for the most part) a little too loudly between gasping and trying to clear my vision so that I didn't get myself killed.

Before I could do anything, another starburst exploded in front of my left eye and I went staggering backwards. Right into Bold Brian, which knocked him, and a number of others who were standing around him, down. Catcalls issued from some of my rushers, mostly directed at Turpan as I struggled to get to my feet. I hate it, absolutely hate it, when my opponent resorts to fighting dirty. So uncivilized. That's where most of them get me. If I can, I fight fair, which do not include hitting your opponent such as Turpan did to me.

I pulled a dagger from one of my wrist sheaths and hurled it at him. It clipped by his eye, drawing blood, only to bury itself in the wall six feet behind him. He snarled furiously and moved toward me again. I slid past and scored my dagger blade down his arm, drawing more blood. He, in turn, whirled, driving his knife toward me, slicing my arm straight across.

Turpan caught my wrist and twisted, making me drop my dagger and bite back a yell. I turned and elbowed him in the side. He let go and backed up, rubbing where I'd elbowed him. I pulled my other wrist dagger out and brought it up under his guard, only to have it knocked away and out of my hand as well. I pulled the dagger at the small of my back out and spun, bringing that one up against Turpan's blade. He shifted, putting his weight on the dagger, pushing me down.

While I was focused on trying to get out of that problem situation, staying on my feet, and not getting myself cut up, Turpan very carefully removed one hand from the blade he was pushing towards me and slipped it down to the hilt of another dagger. I hadn't noticed by then. I did, however, notice when he sank the dagger into my side. I let out a half-gasp, half-yelp, and tried to pull away from the duel to recover just for a moment, but Turpan took that opportunity to hook his foot around my ankle and pull. I went toppling to the ground.

Fighting the dizziness that was overtaking me, I tried to clear my head. That in itself was hard enough, but it was even harder in the heat of battle. When Turpan suddenly seemed to come crashing down towards me, I rolled, gasping when my side screamed at me. I looked back at where I had been seconds before to see a knife buried deep in the hardwood floor.

I took a calm breath, pushing my mind back into gear despite the blood loss I had already suffered. In an almost smooth motion, I lashed out and knocked Turpan off his feet again. Seconds after that, I was flying through the air – he'd used my weight and the momentum of his fall against me and flung me.

I landed hard on top of one of the tables close to the wall (close to Beka, too, I might point out). Two very audible cracks filled the Dove, which had once again fallen to almost complete silence. The table gave way beneath me at the same time fire surged up my leg from just above my knee. Though dizzy from pain and loss of blood, I struggled to get back up, but couldn't. My leg wouldn't hold my weight, and my head spun when I tried. I fell back to the ground in complete and utter pain. I couldn't move, and I was quickly loosing blood. I was done for. Sometime in that moment of realization, the Rogue slipped away and let me be just Rosto again. My nightmare had come true, just not in the way I had expected it.

I turned my head towards Corcoran, who was watching the duel with his mouth slightly open and a look of near-horror in his eyes. I nodded to him, and with some hesitation, he acknowledged it. He knew what I wanted him to do: he had the will I had prepared months before. The Dancing Dove would belong to Aniki. I didn't want anyone else's (meaning whoever defeated me) dirty hands on my inn.

Then I glanced towards my throne, where both Kora and Aniki were. The looks on their faces was enough for me to tell that neither of them could believe their eyes. I tried to give them a look that said 'thank you for all that you have done,' but I can't say if it conveyed that or not. Then, I steeled myself for what was coming, pulling my Rogue face back on. As Turpan drew closer with the knife in his hand, I completely resigned myself to my fate. I was really going to die. Only a few regrets flashed through my mind. I pushed them away, clearing my mind as best I could.

Finally, I turned my head, tilting it slightly, baring my neck for his knife. I had lost. Nothing would change that. If I had to die, I was going to die with dignity.

The way I had my head turned, I was looking straight at Beka, but only she, Goodwin, and Tunstall could see that I was actually doing just that. They were the only ones who could actually see my face. Even with my Rogue face on, I was all Rosto. With my eyes only, I gave her that look I reserved only for her. She watched me sadly, her hands clinched on top of the table. We had both known that this day would come, but it was far too soon.

I shifted just slightly, taking my eyes from the mot I love, and glanced back at Turpan. He was standing over me, looking down at me with loathing. He reached down with the knife – and never got there.

Glittering flames of dark gold burst into existence around his head and shoulders. I jerked my arm up to shield my eyes from the brilliance. Turpan swatted at the flames, trying to extinguish them. Then he began to claw at his throat, his eyes bulging slightly.

"If you kill him, I can't talk to him," a voice said behind him. I knew that voice. But if couldn't be. Could it?

Seconds ticked by, then a minute. Then Turpan dropped and lay absolutely motionless. The whole room was staring at his unmoving form on the ground for several very tense moments. I looked up from his body to see a mot I hadn't seen in several years.

Silence swallowed the room, and all eyes slowly turned toward the door. Silhouetted against the street-lights and the white shock of snow, was the tall mage-woman who had just killed Turpan. She was decked out in a dress of deep forest green, and had a thick black cloak over it, the hood lined with a dark gray fur, probably wolverine. Contrasting the dark gray of her hood was a porcelain white face, with golden hair falling softly past her shoulders, and bright blue eyes that glittered dangerously. A pouty pink mouth was turned up in a smirk.

Fire the color of old gold sparkled at the fingertips of one hand, her other was covered by a thick woolen glove. She looked like a statue of the Hunting Goddess, down to the shiny and well lined leather boots.

Lorena Aurisra.

I can't even begin to describe the relief I felt at that moment. Turpan was gone, and I was still alive. That feeling vanished as my head began to spin again. I groan softly. Lorena looked back at me, looking slightly worried. I could feel Beka's eyes watching me, as well. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wreckage of the table, trying to make it stop spinning long enough to think straight. I heard light footsteps come closer, than stop.

"Will someone _please_ get this piece of pig scummer out of my way?" Lorena's commanding voice echoed in the all too silent air of my inn. I opened my eyes to see several of my rushers scurrying to obey her. I hadn't known that she spoke Tortallan so well. While she waited for them to move the body, she glanced around impatiently, her eyes resting on the Dogs for just a moment. She knelt down next to me and surveyed the wounds I had accumulated as soon as she could reach me.

"Lorena." I murmured as she glanced at my face and gave me a severe look.

"What did I tell you about fighting fair?" She chastised, speaking in Scanran. I laughed, or, more accurately, tried to, because I had seen that coming. Instead, I gasped violently and my hand flew to the wound in my side.

"It doesn't win fights. I know," I responded, also in Scanran, though it was a little awkward on my tongue. "It's just a habit that I apparently need to break." She shook her head at me, carefully moving my hand away from my side. She proceeded to pull my bloody shirt up and run glittering fingers over the wound. Her fingers were freezing cold. I winced slightly, just enough for her to notice.

"What's wrong?" She asked. I settled into the idea that our conversation was going to take place in Scanran, since she had addressed me only as such.

"Your hands are bloody freezing," I told her matter-of-factly. I got another look for that.

"It's cold outside. What did you expect? Hold still, Rikkisram." I opened my mouth to say something only to turn the words into a grunt as she poked my leg to make me shut up.

"Ow! Not so hard. That's still broken, you know," I snapped. She gave me another sharp look, then reached up and cuffed me on the back of the head. Almost everyone gasped. It takes a lot of brass to hit the Rogue upside the head, right in front of his own Court.

"Stop being such a baby, Rosto," she told me. With a sigh, I relaxed and let her get to healing my arm and leg when she was done with my side. Tension was crackling in the air; everyone had their eyes on me and Lorena.

I once again tilted my head back and just a little to the side, trying to look bored. While only the Dogs and Lorena (who was focused on the healing) could see what I was really doing – looking at Beka. She was holding on to a table and watching me, just a hint of annoyance accompanying the worry in her eyes, and…jealousy? Was she jealous of the trust I was displaying with Lorena when I was so obviously having trouble trusting her these last few days?

When our eyes met, she looked away, starting a quiet conversation with Tunstall and Goodwin, who had both somehow managed to keep a low profile. If Beka's upset with me, I know I'm in trouble. She has yet to speak to me at this point…

"Rosto." I glanced back at Lorena to see that she had tugged my shirt (blood-covered as it was) back down, and was brushing her hands off. "I've done the best I could, but your leg will still be a bit tender for a few days, and you'll likely be dizzy, as well, from the blood loss," she said, still speaking in Scanran. Like I said, I had already figured that our conversations would continue to be in Scanran – it offered far more privacy to do so. Only Aniki and Kora were fluent in Scanran, and I know that Beka understands more than she lets on.

Once she was completely done, she very unceremoniously hauled me up from the floor, which, in my opinion, isn't really the right treatment for a person who's just gotten healed. My head spun wildly for a moment, making me stagger just a little. I steadied myself against an empty table.

"Listen, Rosto, there are a number of reasons I've traversed all of Scanra in the past few weeks, in the freezing winter, and it has nothing to do with your inability to fight." I flushed as she said that. I'm not that bad a fighter. I wouldn't have become the Rogue, or managed to keep my throne if I wasn't good. In all honesty, I'm quiet a bit better than I was the last time Lorena and I had seen each other. "Though, if I knew this was how you handled challengers in your Court, I'd call the Patsov. I have a delivery."

"Long way to come for a delivery. Did you bring me something for Midwinter?" I teased her, still wincing because of my leg. I winced harder when she punched me lightly in the shoulder. Lorena was about to answer when a loud meow broke the silence. Pounce hissed loudly and a small caped body flew out from underneath one of the coat racks near the door, hurtling into Lorena's arms.

"Not what, Rikkisram, but who." She knelt down and murmured sweet words to the small, cloaked body. From the responses, I could gather that it was a child she was talking to. "It's just a kitty, darling," she assured the frightened youngster. She looked up at Pounce, who strolled over like he owned every inch of the inn. _My _inn. "See, _maleni_, it's just the Cat." I noticed the addition. Lorena didn't say 'a cat,' but 'the Cat.' Did she know that Pounce was a constellation?

"It's got funny eyes," sniffled the small voice from beneath the cloak. Its Scanran sounded like the yips of a little puppy. Lorena picked up the child, placing it on her hip.

"I know. It means he's special. Come on, _maleni_, you have to speak _Tortalli_ now." She kissed the child on the cheek and turned to face me. I saw her glance at me, then put the child down.

I could feel a shiver of unease working its way up my spine. _It couldn't be._

The child took the hood down from around its face and I heard a collective gasp work its way around the room. Blond. White-blond hair in a boy's cut covered a pudgy child's face, and big ebony-brown eyes looked at me from behind soft gold lashes.

_Maleni. It means 'little one' or 'baby.' Could this blond little boy be…_

The child came up to me. "Hello, Patsov Rosto." And then he put his arms around my waist, hugging me like I was his only blood-kin. I looked up at Lorena with a look of disbelief on my face.

"Sweet Mithros, you're kidding me." That slipped out of my mouth in Tortallan, causing a twitter among the crowd. I had to reach out and steady myself against the table again for fear of passing out then and there. She smirked and I felt my blood run cold.

"Relax, Rikkisram, I'll explain." I couldn't help but put a hand over my pounding heart. I would much rather she explained it right there and then, is he or isn't he. Yes or no. Simple question, simple answer.

Then it hit me. We were still in front of the entire court, and the little boy was still hugging me. I placed my hand on his head and the child looked up at me. I imagined that Lorena had told him to play on my affections and act as innocent as possible. But I couldn't help it: here was this small child, holding onto me, big doe-brown eyes waiting for me to acknowledge him. He blinked at me, just one slow blink and my icy rogue heart melted. _Oh, here's trouble. _

"Stay." The words left my mouth before my sensible self could hold them in check. "You can stay. Both of you." I knelt down on my good knee, and looked at the little boy in front of me. "_Gavarishli puno Tortalli?" _ I asked the little blond in Scanran, trying very hard not to sound like I was growling at him. He shook his head. He didn't speak a lot of Tortallan, and the gesture said more than if he'd spoken.

A hand descended lightly on the boy's shoulder: Kora. She asked him, quietly and in Scanran, if he was tired or hungry. He looked back and Lorena and then nodded fervently. "I'll take them to a room, have one of Corcoran's girls bring them a bite," she said to me. As I nodded my approval Kora extended her hand to the boy and he shook his head, waiting for Lorena. He squeaked when he saw Laddybuck and Fuzzball sitting next to the stairs, and pointed at them. Lorena nudged him along, turning to look at me for another second.

"Good night, Rosto," she said. And with that, she and the lad were gone.

People were far too intrigued to leave, so instead of making them go away, I disappeared. I slowly made my way upstairs after putting Aniki in charge for the rest of the night. It has been a long day.

Through it all, Beka has neither spoken to me, nor looked at me. I think I'm in trouble.

* * *

Lady Wolf's Scanran-English Dictionary

Maleni- Literally, "Little One," though colloquially it can mean "baby" or "child." It's usage is determined by context, more often the literal meaning is used when referring to the young of someone else, or to animal young. The Colloquial is used in more privatized and possessive contexts.

Gavarishli puno Tortalli? - An interrogative, Literally, "Do you speak a lot of Tortallan?" As a singular word, "Tortalli" can mean the Tortallan Language, or the Tortallan People. In this instance, it is talking about the language.

Rikkisram- a nickname given to Rosto, whose meaning we will soon interpret for you. Meanwhile, you must agonize over its meaning.

Read and Review!

--Lioness's Heart and Lady Wolf--


	4. Chapter 4: The Child

From the Journal of Rebakah Cooper  
Provost's Guardswoman, The Lower City, Corus.

December 16, 247

Late at night

Today was, technically, my day off. And being as the weather was holding (cold, but no additional snow) I decided to take Rosto up on his suggestions of going to visit my Lords household. I wasn't going to be long.

After escaping through the back of the Dove, I realized I was being tailed. Nosy rushers, nothing better to do. So I had to go around the long way to the Patten District, going first through the Common and Temple districts, then making my way through the Upmarket District, into the Patten. I think I lost the rushers tailing me somewhere near the Mother's Temple. I dinna know for sure, but the sight of the warrior priestesses, armed with their sickles, is a fearsome thing to most men, and I lost them from there.

Mind you, I've never had to make that roundabout trip in the middle of December, nor with several jars of preserves in my basket. I reached my Lords house, nodded at Jakorn and Balari, who were watching the gate and greeted me with smiles, and let myself into the kitchen. Mya was there, ordering around two girls who were botching up the biscuits. I could've told them they were kneading them too much. They'd be brick hard and tasteless.

"Who opened that door!?" snapped Mya, pushing the two younger girls out of the way, and trying to salvage the biscuits. Her head turned toward the courtyard entrance to the kitchen, her eyes in a frown, then she saw me and she smiled. "Well, if it isn't our own little Terrier. Come in, Beka! Are you hungry?" She nudged the two girls who had botched the biscuits over to help me out of my things.

"No, Mya, Cookie stuffs me like a Midwinter's turkey three times a day." I handed my coat over and took off my slush covered boots. One of the girls brought me a pair of kitchen clogs, and I put them on, leaning on Mya's counter.

"Then he don't feed you enough, child. You should eat more, Beka, it's unhealthy for a mot to be so wiry and thin." She gave one sharp look to one of the help, and a bowl of hot broth was sitting in front of me. "Eat, and take one of these brick biscuits, mayhap the soup'll soften it." It didn't matter that I wasn't hungry, I tucked in anyway, Mya clucking approvingly.  
"I have a present for you, Mya. Cookie sent it along," I pushed the basket over to her. She brushed her hands off, clearing the flour, and hauled one of the girls back.

"If you knead that dough more than ten times, I swear, I'll have you scouring pots from here until next winter. Do it right," Mya watched as the girl kneaded the dough and cut biscuits. Needless to say, the idea of scouring pots was as much a threat now as it was a few years back, as the girl did them properly this time. "Now let's see what this Corcoran fellow has sent me." Mya pulled the basket over to herself and looked inside. She pulled the lid off of one. "Fruit preserves!" she said happily, "Well, I guess I can forgive Corcoran the fact that he don't feed you enough times a day. Wherever did he get them, this late in the season?"

"Oh Cookie got whole shipments full of peaches and apples and strawberries at the beginning of fall. He couldn't cook them fast enough. When he felt that they might go bad, he started preserving and jarring what he could. There's a whole larder full of that," I nodded toward the jars. "I'd eat a whole jar of the preserved peaches with my breakfast if it didn't make me toddle like a pudgy two year old afterward."

"Well, thank him for me. This will be right welcome," she put the jars back in the basket, nudging one of the scullery maids to take the jars into the cellar. "Winter is that bare of fruit, and dried fruits just don't have the same taste. How'd he get all that fruit, wasn't it expensive, especially after the droughts?"

"The Rogue." I responded simply, crumbling the biscuit into my soup. It was brick hard. "Rosto knew the season was bad, so he'd been willing to shell out top coin for the seasons best fruits, just to help the local farmers. Plus he sells it back to the people of Corus."

"For a hefty fee, no doubt." Mya scowled, getting up again. She went back to her biscuit making, pushing the girl aside to cut the dough to shape while Mya kneaded. Mya never could stand idle chatter.

"Actually, no. It's cheaper to eat at the Dove, than it is anywhere else in the Lower City. Because he bought so much, and because he can make so much, he can sell it cheaper, and know that more people will come for the food. He makes a bit on it, but nothing heinous so the folk are left poor and starving." I explained as best I could to Mya, she nodded a bit, understanding the logic.

"What's he like, this Rosto the Rogue?" Mya asked. Several people in the kitchen shuffled so that they could hear my answer. It's unlikely that any of them serve Rosto, being as they all work for my Lord, but Rosto's relatively new, and he's a curiosity in Corus.

"Well, what do you know about him?" I asked Mya. When she said she'd only heard he was some 'Scanran busybody' and naught of use, I continued. "First and foremost, he is much more useful to the Lower City, and all of Corus, than Rogue Kayfer was, pox rot him. Much better. As a Dog, that's what matters to me. He's smart, and sure he has to kill some folk, and do some illegal things, but he's smart, and he's keeping a good handle on trouble that had gotten out of hand under Kayfer. Not only that, but he's issued a warning to all of his Rushers. If they kill a Dog, he'll not protect them, and that they will pray for the Black Gods mercy to be picked up by the Dogs and not be handed over to Rosto himself. He's also a well paying Rogue, hiring carpenters and craftsmen and paying them what they'd make when the markets was good, and folk respect him for it, so they work their best and hardest for him."

"Fine, fine, fine. Your Dog opinion, though useful and worth summat, is not what I'm listenin' for. What's your opinion, as Beka, you live with him don't you?" Mya waved a floury hand at me. "Come on girl, what's the man behind the Rogue like?"

"Handsome as the sunrise." I responded.

"You think he's handsome?" Mya looked at me incredulously.

"Every mot in Corus thinks he's handsome. You'd have to be dead two weeks to not have your pulse spike around him." I explained, and several of the kitchen help chuckled.

"So every mot in Corus thinks he's handsome. But what do you think? Come on, Beka, be a dear and gossip with me. Or do I have to wrangle it out of you?" Mya teases.

"Very well, Mya. He ain't handsome. He's striking, all ivory and gold, with two ebony eyes that are warm and laughing on minute, and hard and frightening the next. He's incredibly neat, supremely organized, and behind that very tough Rogue exterior, he's got a soft heart."

"An organized man? Beka, you're telling fairy stories," one of the mots drying dishes said aloud. Several mots laughed at that.

"He is organized. It's bordering obsessive. He keeps things neat, in their place, and clean. His pipes, his knives, everything. He knows where each one is." I tell them, chuckling a bit with them.

"Well, lass, if he's as 'striking, organized, and soft hearted,' as you say he is, why haven't you married him?" Another mot, who is peeling carrots, laughs the question. Suddenly the kitchen goes quiet. Most of the help know what happened to my mother and the story of my childhood. The room is uncomfortably quiet.

"Well I keep asking him," I say on a lark, "but he gets so many offers that I dinna think he hears mine," I joke and the women laugh again.

"He's nice to you?" Mya asks, serious for a moment.

"Yes, Mya, he's nice to me. I eat free at the Dove. Rosto won't hear of me paying for food, along with my rent. He won't kick me out neither, though his court all tells him he should. And Aniki, that's the Queen of the Ladies of the Rogue, she gets particularly testy with Rosto on the nights I'm there to collect the Happy Bag. According to her, he has a soft spot for me, though why, I've no clue."

"And he won't hurt you?" Mya asks, still serious.

"We won't hurt each other. We dare not." I tell Mya, and she looks at me confused. "Rosto is the King of Rats. I'm the Terrier. He knows that, to insult me or threaten me in any way, would put a whole host of Dogs at his front door, and me being who I am, I'd be able to dig up enough information to put him away for good. And I dare not fight him, not one to one. We'd kill each other, Mya. So we keep things…amicable."

I dared not continue talking after that. Rosto and I were lovers, we weren't just amicable, we were amorous, and I feared saying anything that might hint that we were more than just careful friends. Let the world think Rosto was the flirt, they think that anyway, but no more.

"Amicable. That's….good." Mya murmurs, rolling the world on her tongue. "From what you know, does he sound like an honorable character?"

"He sounds like a purring wolf," I say, letting the words slip before they should, "and according to Kora, he's a decent enough Cove. Keeps his word, if he gives it."

" 'Purring Wolf'" Mya says, here eyebrow popping up, "That there's poetry coming out of your mouth, Beka Cooper. You sure it's just amicable?"

I wondered for a moment, just then, if I told them all, that I'm in love with Rosto the Piper, king of the court of the Rogue, and that he likes my cat, and doesn't mind that I'm a Dog, and that I'd probably give up my job as a Dog if he seriously asked me to, and wouldn't mind bearing his children. If I told them I loved his kisses, and melted whenever he puts those clever hands to my skin, and how I couldn't keep my hands to myself around him. I wondered, what would they say? They might laugh, they might gape at me, but I honestly don't think they'd believe me.

I was saved from answering by the kitchen door flying open and Lorine running down the stairs to grip me in a fierce hug. "Beka! Jakorn just came in from his post and said you were here! What are you doing here? How is everything? Are you freezing to death in the Lower City? No, you're so skinny, I'll bet you're starving down there. You can have my lunch, and I'll make you a blanket. No, a good warm coat. Oh, but it'll have to be black, so you can wear it on Watch." She babbled in my ear, as she hugged me close to her.

"I'm fine, Lorine. The Dove's cook, Corcoran wanted me to drop off some fruit preserves. I'm not hungry, Mya just gave me something to eat, and I ate just before I left the Dove. And I'm not cold, or freezing to death" I tried to explain.

"You only have Pounce to keep you warm. Unless there's a man. Is there a man, Beka?" Lorine pushed me away to look at me.

"Lorine! Calm yourself. I'm not cold at night, really I ain't. But if you're dead set on making me something, I'll take the coat, because I need a new one for Watch. I was going to get one from my Lords stores, but this would be better." I appease her, drawing attention away from the fact that I didn't answer the man-question. I hate not telling her, but at least it ain't lying.

"Oh, good! I will. I've already started one. I'll just make the outside black. Does it have to be black?" She said, hugging me again.

"Yes, Lorine. If I'm to wear it on Watch, it'll have to be black. Where are Will and Nilo? How are they?" I ask her, patting her shoulder to get her to let me go.

"They're alright, Nilo's been placed in charge of that old carriage horse, you know, the big bay. He's so proud of himself. He takes care of all the gear, and he grooms that horse every day. He was right proud when Lord Gershom asked him to get the carriage out, so he and my Lady could go to the house of the Knight Commander. Bad business there, but not much we can change. Supposedly, the Bazhir are being a nuisance again. King Roger's making a treaty with some near Barzun, but its boring work, since each tribe is different. Anyway, Will's been running messages all day, I haven't seen him since this mess with Barzun started. There's word that King Roger plans to invade, just solve the mess by taking over the whole dratted country, desert and everything." She chatted and chatted, having heard more gossip than me, at least from the higher ups.

I let her talk at me for a while. "Is my Lord Gershom home?" I asked her, trying to stop the tirade about how lavender was an absolutely atrocious color for a winter dress-coat. She looked confused for a moment.

"He is. He's in his study. Is it Dog stuff? Do you have to talk about something important? Something dangerous?"

"No, I just want to check in with him. Let him know I stopped by." I tell her, "By the way, I totally agree with you. Lavender was an abominable choice for dress color. I'll tell Aniki to avoid it this winter."

"Oh, good. Who's Aniki?" Lorine asked. I explained the living situation at the Dove, which caused Lorine's eyes to bug out. The King and Queen of the Rogue, one mage, and two Dogs, plus Pounce, Cookie, and the serving girls.

"You know, you've yet to see my lodgings on Nipcopper Close. Why don't you and Will and Nilo drop in, sometime around Midwinter. Cookie, that is Corcoran, has been making excellent stuffed goose for the past week, you could join us for an early supper. Shock all the other sewing women with tales of dining with the Rogue, or sommat." I prodded at her, and she smiled at me.

"You know Lady Teodorie won't approve of that sort of scandalous behavior."

"Aniki and Rosto both wear clothes. They have good taste, too. Rosto wore the most brilliant red-gold shirt the other night when he threw Bold Brian into the river, mind you Brian had it coming. But folk talk about what the Rogue and the Queen of the Rogue wear, and you can add that in when you gossip with the sewing women. How many of them can say they met the Rogue, ate dinner with him, and walked away unscathed?" I poked at her, and she wrinkled her nose, but didn't move. She was thinking.

"I'll see if we can get a night off together." Lorine smiled and looked over at the door. "I have to get back. Three of us are working on a gown for my Lady. She and Lord Gershom have been invited to the Midwinter's Ball at the Palace. It's a major to-do. I'll walk you up to my Lords study." She linked her arm in mine and tugged toward the door.

"Mya, I'll be right back." I said, following Lorine right out of the kitchen. We talked quietly in the halls as she mentioned Diona's learning how to be a lady's maid progressing. She left me at the door to my Lords study, with a light kiss on the cheek.

"I'll let Will and Nilo know you stopped by. I do hope we see you soon. I'll see if I can make that coat for you in my spare time. Be careful, Beka, and tell Pounce and Ersken we say hi." She strolled off, ducking into one of the rooms down the hall.

Knocking on my Lord Gershom's door, I felt suddenly home sick. Nothing awful, but enough to make me wish I was still staying at their house. Especially now as it's almost Midwinter. A gruff "Enter!" from my lord gave me permission to enter his room.

"Afternoon Da," I said, scanning the room as I walked toward his desk.

"Beka, what brings you here?" He asked, putting a whole stack of papers haphazardly to the side. I tell him about Corcoran and the fruits, and that makes him shifty eyed. "You didn't give those all to Mya, did you?"

"I did indeed." I say, pulling up a chair.

"Great, now I'll have to wheedle extra to get some with my breakfast in the morning. Next time, just bring me a jar on the side." Lord Gershom chuckles a bit, and pulls a set of papers in front of him.

"Tell me that ain't paperwork from us Dogs," I say looking at the stack.

"This? Mithros no, their invitations to visit during Midwinter. Tell me what's news on the street." Lord Gershom chuckles at my face, and leans back in his chair as I tell him about Brian's dip in the river, and the encounter with Rose Bride.

"Folk are still tense. The weather's been holding up, but we're waiting for the snow to hit, and hit hard. There ain't a street-corner without a begging mumper." I tell him, explaining how bad it's getting in the Lower City. "I just wish there was sommat we could do. Folk are attacking Dogs a purpose, just so as to spend the night in the Kennels where it's warm, and they'll get some gruel."

"This is sad news, Beka. Several of the nobles have mentioned it. His majesty is just too pressed with this spat with Barzun to care. I wish there was more I could say." My Lord said, sighing heavily. "So, what'd Brian say to warrant getting tossed in the Olorun in the middle of winter?"

"Called Rosto a spintry in front of his Court" I replied with a grin.

"When we were in Port Caynn, you called him a spintry on a daily basis. And not just because of what you were doing behind closed doors." My lord teased me, and I found my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.

"We didn't do nothing behind closed doors while you was there, my lord. Secondly, I'm special. Only two other people can call Rosto a spintry, and that's Aniki and Kora." I tell him, explaining very quickly, though I know he's teasing.

"Still, he must here it all the time, living in a house with the three of you. Why get mad?"

"Mainly acos it's Brian. Bold Brian dinna know when t' kip his gob shut." I tell my Lord, sounding like such a gutter mite, he can't help but snort back a laugh. Lord Gershom and I talk news, which I'm to report to Goodwin and Tunstall, especially regarding the goings on in Barzun, and that we're to keep our eyes open for suspicious looking Bazhir, just in case.

"Speaking of cases, anything new?" I ask him. "Who's on the prowl today?"

"Nothing major since the Bloodhound brought down gambling Scanran sea-scuts." He says, giving me a very proud look. "Which reminds me, I just finished my last correspondence with the Port Caynn Dogs, they are indeed setting up a new team of Dogs, which will patrol the waters around the Port, for now. But they sent this to me, from _The Silver Retriever_, he picked a package up from the floor, placing it on his desk. It's a bit wet around the edges, but I imagine that Port Caynn's getting its share of awful winter weather.

"Bit early for Midwinter presents," I tell him with a joke and he unwraps the package. In it, is a folded up bundle of cloths. "What is it?"

"Flags, from the ships. Both of the Ships carry a Dogs flag, Black with the Provosts seal on it, but these were originally on the ships." He hands them over to me, and I pull up one that I can remember. The first one, is Breno's family flag. Rosto recognized it. It was clean, but it was still nasty because of the memories tied to it. The flag from the wolf-ships, which had a snarling wolf's face on a blood red flag, and the Scanran flag.

"Keep them." My Lord says, watching me over a sheaf of papers.

"My Lord Gershom, I can't keep these. Ain't there some rule about spoils of war and the like? These go to the commanding general, that being you." Lord Gershom barks a laugh at that, a hearty rolling sound.

"There's one other person who can claim the 'Spoils of War' –as you've so aptly put it—and that's the best warrior in battle. In this case, that was you. Keep the flags, Beka. There's naught I can do with them."

Well that shut me up. Best warrior in a battle? Was he kidding? That was Sabine, her being a Lady Knight. And Tunstall, jumping between boats to toss sea-scuts into Port Caynn waters. _Or Rosto, who was brave enough to challenge Breno head-on. _ I looked at the flags. _Rosto. _

"Thank you, my Lord, I will be honored to take these flags off your hands." I fold them up again and tie them into a neat bundle, which I place on my chair while I stand up. "I'm heading back to the Dove. I'm actually going to have some fun on my day off."

"Leaving me here to answer invitations. I don't know why I don't let Todie handle these dratted things. She knows who we should and shouldn't associate with during the holidays." He grumbled, but got up from his desk and came around to pull me into a hug. "Be careful out there. Stop by once more before Midwinter, I don't think I can stand all the foolery that goes on around here."

I laughed there. "Lorine, Nilo, and Will want to stop by the Dove before Midwinter, is it alright if they have the day off together sometime this next week?" I ask him, still holding on to the hug.

"If Todie doesn't mind, I'll escort them there myself." He said giving me a squeeze.

"And what would folk say to the Lord Provost walking into the Rogue's Tavern?"

"That I have good taste in mead and midwinter's goose," joked the lord Provost.

"I'll see you there then. Send a runner to give me a heads up, if you can spare one." I kissed his cheek and picked up my package. "Thank you, Lord Gershom."

"I was 'Da' when you walked in," he smiled.

"Thanks, Da." I said, leaving him to his pile of invitations and letters. Lorine and Diona were in the hallway. I nodded at Lorine and she smiled back, which made Diona turn around and lay eyes on me.

"Good Afternoon, Rebakah." Diona sounded snooty, but I was in too good a mood to put her in her place. Besides, anyone as knows me knows I dinna go by Rebakah, unless I'm in front of the Lord High Magistrate.

"Afternoon, ladies. I take it the Midwinter preparations are keeping you both busy," I don't really move much from my spot, just a little into the hall.

"They are. It's important the party and dresses look nice. What are those?" Diona says, polite to the point that it's painful.

"The spoils of war," I say, smiling at my Lords previous comment about being the best warrior in the battle.

"Looks like cloth. What is it?" Lorine peeks over Diona's shoulder to get a closer look. I put the cloth to one side so it's less visible.

"Flags. Personal flags of a man I put behind bars. I keep them, because I was the chief hunter." I try to make it sound as least common as I can, but the fact that I'm a Dog is obvious in the way I speak, and the words I choose.

I can tell Lorine is interested. She didn't get to hear the whole story about what happened in Port Caynn acos she had to go back to work as soon as she'd visited. She wanted to know more, but Diona gave her a sharpish look and Lorine calmed. "Next time you visit, I'll show them to you. My Lord is letting me keep them." I tell her, and give them both a very stiff and formal kiss goodbye, and escape down to the kitchens.

Making my goodbye's to Mya, I grab my basket, put the flags in, and head back out to the streets. I nearly bowl Balari over, which makes me blush. Balari and I, we were close once. Back when he was a street Dog, and I wasn't even in the training kennels yet. I was still a runner then. He was, well, my closest friend before Ersken.

"Beka, sweet, there's no rush," he says giving my shoulder a brush. He straightens the basket for me, checking to make sure it's solid before handing it back to me. "Beka," he says quietly, "we're proud of you. All of us. You know that, right?" His eyes are soft and a light hazel, flecked with gray. His hair is brown, shot with streaks of red, making him look a bit like a hawk.

"Thanks. I just do my job. Like you do." I say back, looking back up into those eyes. I thought myself in love with those eyes once. Balari, he was giving and caring enough. We experimented with the cuddling and such for a while, but at the time, I didn't see what the fuss was about, and Balari saw that being a Dog was so important to me. He let me go. And I never went back.

"No, Beka. You did more in your Puppy year than I could in a lifetime. I'm a lazy Dog. I like a sweeter Happy Bag, and an easy watch. Workin' for the Provost is more than I could ask for. You're the Terrier, the Bloodhound. You'll be the best of us all." Balari tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

I stood quietly for a second, staring at the ground. I don't like when folk I think of as friends calling me by grand names like the Terrier and the Bloodhound.

"I missed you, Beka." He said quietly. I looked up. "Whenever folk spoke your name, I tuned my ear in to listen. Some days, I still miss you. You went and became a hero, and it's like you're farther away than the moon and the stars."

"Balari," I started. I didn't know what to say, but I guess my face said everything I couldn't.

"Now, don't look like that. I ain't asking for you to come back. Not to me. When you're meant for something and someone grander. I know that being a Dog, was a bigger deal for you than it was for me. I'm just telling you, sweet. When people speak your name, I think of you, and I remember and miss what was. It's not an ache, just a thought." He kissed my cheek. I felt the blush work all the way up my face, and I could tell he was looking at me.

"So that's it. Someone's already stolen your heart. If he's got even half a brain, he'll hold onto you. If he won't, there's a Dog here who'll welcome back a friend with open arms and a decent heart." He kissed me on the forehead.

"I'll try and come around for Midwinter," I murmured.

"I look forward to it. Midwinter's Luck, Beka." He said with a cheery smile and walked off. Why did I feel so awkward? Balari and I were never uncomfortable with each other, not even after what happened. He was like Ersken. He did what he had to, to the best of his ability, and he had the capacity to love and protect his friends limitlessly. I couldn't love him, like I did Rosto, but if my world fell down around my ears, I would have a companion in Balari, like I did Ersken.

Meanwhile, I hope he's happy and safe. I hope he finds a great love. Someone who will set a fire under his tail, maybe make him work with his heart. Midwinter Luck to you, Balari. Whatever road the Gods put you on.

Well, after I left my Lords house, I headed out for the Daymarket, simply acos I knew there'd be the most bustling there, being especially as Midwinter was coming up fast, and I'd be able to keep my ears open for any likely whispers. I was trotting along Palace Way, when I saw Rosto leaving a jewelers stall. His eyes looked distant, and given his location, far too distracted. I figured I'd just run up to him, and then decided to hold back. We were in the Daymarket, and nice as it was, it was really crowded. I may have been listening for whispers, but I didn't want the whispers to be about me! Looking around I saw a pile of snow, a little wet a melting but not dirty. I scooped it up turned it into a ball, aimed, and fired! It hit Rosto right in the back of the head.

He whipped around fast as lightning, his daggers drawn. The shocked look in his face made me whoop with laughter. I swallowed my laughter and chuckled quietly when he gave me a sinister glare.

"What was that for?" He asked, trying to brush snow and slush from his neck and clothes. I grinned at him.

"You weren't paying attention, Rosto. Attention unpaid,"

"Is a grave half-made. I know. I was paying attention, Beka, I just have a few things on my mind," The Rogue was always on his mind, and always distracting him, and getting Rosto into trouble. I guess my question showed on my face, because he answered continued.

"I have a challenge tonight. I have to duel Turpan." Turpan? He'd killed Rosto's rushers last night, and Rosto was supposed to handle it this morning. He was about to continue when I noticed that several people had stopped to stare at us, the Rogue and a Dog standing together during a cold winter day. I saw the veneer of Rogue slip over his face, if not over his eyes, "I suppose I should be glad that runty Dogs prefer to play with slush instead of throwing daggers,"

He had noticed the people watching, too. Good Rosto, back on your guard.

"So, Rat-king. This district ain't your usual haunt. Planning on turning the good honest Dogs from the reserve Watch onto their ears and tails?" I asked him, using my Dog voice. He grinned at me, with his razor thin smile.

"Oh, maybe, or maybe not. It all depends on who else I run into. But, that is for me to know, and for you not to find out," he said cryptically. The people around us went back to their business, probably realizing that both Rosto and I were too controlled to just brawl in the streets. He walked off in one direction, and I turned to the stall that he'd just come out of.

A jewelry stall. Well, it would be inappropriate to start asking what the Rogue was buying, but I was about to peek my nose into the stall anyway when I felt a cold wet slushball hit ME in the head. I glared in the direction of the slushball, and glared at Rosto. _I'll get you for that!_ I thought at him, he smiled and disappeared.

I wonder what Rosto was buying in that jewelry stall. I peered inside and didn't see anything that was particularly his style, so he wasn't shopping for himself, and a lot of the stuff was too frivolous and expensive to be my style, but they did have a few nice pieces. I thought about buying a gift for Lorine; it was a simply carved bracelet made of koa wood from the Copper Isles and inlaid with silver. Actually, it would look beautiful on her considering the kind of left-over material she'd just picked up from Lady Teodorie, and the silver was pretty but not too fancy. After a bit of haggling I bought the bracelet. It was too perfect to give up.

"It seems you and the Rogue is more alike than you think," murmured the sales woman. I looked up. "He bought the sister to that bracelet you just chose." She gave me this knowing grin, and I glared at her.

"This bracelet is for my sister. Who is a seamstress in the household of the Lord Provost," I said, trying to keep the snippiness from my voice. The woman looked down.

"Yes Guardswoman Terrier," she said, mumbling an apology, "I wasn't insinuating nothing bad, honest." I thanked her for her business, and left, careful to place the bracelet inside my basket, toward the bottom where folk couldn't just reach in and pull it out. I picked up some of the Copper Isles Red Griffin Tea, which Aniki and I both liked, and headed for home.

I did some mending when I got back and rested for a while after that, then headed down to the Dove just around supper time. I took my usual spot at the bar, and before I'd had a moment to sit properly, Corcoran plunked a plate down in front of me. Pounce jumped onto the counter, sniffing at the plate. How often do I gotta tell that man I'm not hungry. Dinna matter, he still feeds me. I was giving Pounce some of my chicken when Rosto walked downstairs. He was absolutely bristling with knives, and he hadn't bothered with a nice shirt, just solid black tonight.

Seems Rosto would indeed be eating tonight, because he asked for a bowl of soup from Corcoran. When he got to the counter, he gave me a peck on the cheek. He tucked in silently, soup was safest acos it was least likely to make him sluggish in a fight. Soon as he was finished, he stood and signaled for the door to be opened. I kept feeding Pounce scraps from my plate.

"Are you worried about the challenge?" I asked, and he shrugged, staying both aware of the door, but trying to come closer to me. It kills him, these moments, when we could get caught.

"A little. Turpan is a bit taller – and stronger – than I am, but I'm faster than him, and marginally more skilled with daggers than he is. From those facts, I think we're evenly matched," He spoke quietly, reaching over to give my hand a squeeze before his sharp ears heard something and he trotted over to his throne, kicking up his feet in a way that said, 'I'm powerful, in-charge, and bored,' though at that moment he was anything but.

The usual crowd moved into the room; Katie, Brian, Aniki and Kora, each taking their places somewhere and chatting loudly. About an hour into the evening the door banged open, and in stalked a man I assumed was Turpan and a few of his Rushers. Rather than making pleasantries Turpan stalked toward Rosto's throne, challenging him with a hiss. Rosto accepted with a snarl. I stood up from my spot and moved over to a corner table where I could see, without being a distraction. I was joined a moment later by none other than Tunstall!

"What's going on, Beka?" he asked with a whisper, and I told him about Turpan's challenge. "Another one? My goodness, and I thought those only happened on Happy Bag nights," he chuckled but I think he realized I was too intent on the fight to answer him.

Goodwin scooted into a seat next to mine, and I was more confused. Why in the name of the Mother were my Dogs hanging around the Dove on their day off? Goodwin answered me, "I heard about the duel. Brian can't seem to keep his mouth shut. Also, I heard that Corcoran makes a good goose." I nodded, keeping my eyes on the two men in front of me.

Turpan started the fighting, leaping at Rosto. As the fight continued Turpans fighting got quickly less civilized and controlled, and far more aggressive. He was throwing cheap shots, and Rosto was trying to control the fight so it wouldn't destroy the Dove without any luck. Turpan caught Rosto with a nasty blow to the back of the head, throwing him into Bold Brian's table. I jerked forward, pushing my chair back, ready to spring in.

"You don't want to take him on, Beka. Turpan's a berserker when he gets a taste of blood in his mouth. Hold off," I heard Goodwin hiss, grabbing my arm. The blows were getting worse and worse; Turpan clipped Rosto near the eye, busting open the skin so it started bleeding, and Rosto struck back ripping his dagger through Turpans arm, so that blood pooled at their feet. When their daggers locked, I knew Rosto was in trouble. Turpan had been fighting Rosto, not the other way around. Rosto's style is more subtle and flighty, rather like a crows. It hits, then backs off, then hits again, and backs off. Turpans a bull, he gets in there, locks horns, and then uses his weight to bear down on his opponent. Rosto's skill was no good when he was being held by Turpan's size. Quick as a snake, Turpan stuck one of his own daggers into Rosto's side and I saw Rosto crumple to the floor. I could see his face, the Rogue slipping away quickly, and Rosto's eyes stared into mine. He was going to die, and he was ready to accept it. I hauled myself to my feet. Turpan looked manic, and he raised the dagger high.

The door banged open, distracting the entire room for a moment. It took only a second, but whoever was at the door raised their hand and shot bolts of gold mage-fire at Turpan. He burst into flames that didn't burn, screaming as he tried to hit them, and eventually his voice caught and he dropped like a stone, dead, on the floor.

Rosto stood and the person from the door said quietly, "If you kill him, I cannot talk to him." She turned her nose at the body and turned to face Rosto. Everyone's eyes were on her. Dressed in a black travelling cloak over a green dress, was the most beautiful woman I'd probably ever seen. She was the picture of a princess: a great mass of loose gold curls framed an ivory white face, set with deep blue eyes, the color of a lake in high summer, and a pouty pink mouth set in a smirk. She looked both beautiful and immensely dangerous, what with her gold mage-fire glinting around her hands.

With her well shined boots clicking on the wood floor she made it to Rosto's side, snapping her fingers and issuing a command that someone remove Turpan's body from her path. It was done with silent efficiency. She strolled over to Rosto, looking him over as he tried to shake away dizziness.

"What did I tell you about fighting fair?" she said, her voice cool and liquid, like she was talking to a student and not the King of the Rogue. She also spoke in Scanran, purring her r's.

"It doesn't win fights. I know," Rosto grunted a bit as the blonde mage examined his wounds. I watched, ready to leap on her if she should hurt Rosto. He winced once, and she glared at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her hands still floating lightly, the gold mage-fire healing wounds that might have taken a few days to heal had any other healer done them.

"You're hands are bloody freezing," he grunted.

"It is cold outside." She said matter-of-factly. "What did you expect? Hold still, Rikkisram." Rosto grunted and then winced when she poked his leg.

"Ow! Not so hard. That's still broken, you know," he snapped. She gave me another sharp look, then reached up and cuffed him on the back of the head. Almost everyone gasped. It takes a lot of brass to hit the Rogue upside the head, right in front of his own Court.

"Stop being such a baby, Rosto," she said to him. Clearly a woman who had known Rosto very long. A slap to the face is an insult. A slap to the back of the head is a wake-up call. But that this woman, whoever she was, could hit Rosto with some degree of authority and he would submit to it, irked me. He clearly knew her well enough to trust her implicitly.

"Cooper. You've been listening to these wolves growl longer than I have," muttered Goodwin, "What are they saying?" I sat back down, and whispered the translation as carefully as I could.

"They know each other," muttered Tunstall. "She's pretty. But I highly doubt that the Piper associates in any way with women who aren't." He gave me a look with a wink. I glared at him.

"Forget that she's pretty, will you Mattes. Look at that skill. She's a damned good mage, and I want to know why she's here, and how she's going to make our lives miserable?" Thank you, Goodwin, I thought to myself. You could count on her to be grumpy and surly, rather than awed.

The woman brushed her hands off, signifying she was done, "I've done the best I could, but your leg will still be a bit tender for a few days, and you'll likely be dizzy, as well, from the blood loss," she said, still speaking in Scanran. Once she was completely done, she very unceremoniously hauled Rosto from the floor, forcing him to get his bearings quickly.

"Listen, Rosto, there are a number of reasons I've traversed all of Scanra in the past few weeks, in the freezing winter, and it has nothing to do with your inability to fight." _A low blow, is she trying to aggravate Rosto further? _"Though, if I knew this was how you handled challengers in your Court, I'd call the Patsov. I have a delivery." _Bingo,_ my mind said, racing to connect dots, _this woman is one of the Patsovlieri. She's a district chief to the court of the Rogue in Scanra. _

"Long way to come for a delivery. Did you bring me something for Midwinter?" Rosto teased her, wincing as his leg shook.

The woman was about to answer when I heard Pounce hiss loudly and a small caped body flew out from underneath one of the coat racks near the door, hurtling into the woman's arms. The woman crooed to the little person, who was very obviously a child. "See, _maleni_, it's just the Cat." I let my Gift hearing go, since they were talking quieter and quieter.

"It's got funny eyes," sniffled the small voice from beneath the cloak. Its Scanran sounded like the yips of a little puppy.

"I know. It means he's special. Come on, _maleni_, you have to speak _Tortalli_ now." She kissed the child on the cheek and turned to face Rosto. Pounce sat in the middle of the floor like he owned the place, every inch an Immortal.

The child took the hood down from around its face and I heard a collective gasp work its way around the room. I felt myself gasp. White-blond hair in a boy's cut covered a pudgy child's face, and big ebony-brown eyes looked out at the world from behind soft gold lashes.

"Hello, Patsov Rosto." And then he put his arms around Rosto's waist, hugging him.

"Sweet Mithros, you're kidding me." Rosto said in Tortallan and the room began to titter and whisper. I couldn't help but lean back in shock myself. Not having heard all the conversation, and not understanding the meaning of some of the words, I had to guess that the little blonde boy was somehow related to Rosto, if not directly related to Rosto

"Relax, Rikkisram, I'll explain" said the woman, and I wanted to stand up and tell her that no matter what she says, she's just about cemented Rosto's reputation as a spintry. Pox rot her.

"Stay." The words left Rosto's mouth "You can stay. Both of you." I felt my mouth drop open _WHAT!?! Why?! _ My brain was screaming at me. Who were they? What made them so special that they could stay here!? He knelt to look the little boy in the eyes "_Gavarishli puno Tortalli?" _ he asked the boy, who shook his head no.

A hand descended lightly on the boys shoulder: Kora. She asked him, quietly and in Scanran, if he was tired or hungry. He looked back and Lorena and then nodded fervently. "I'll take them to a room, have one of Corcoran's girls bring them a bite" she said to Rosto.

"Good night, Rosto," she said. And with that, she and the lad were gone. That was the last straw for me. I translated as best as I could for Goodwin's sake, then stalked out of the main room and up the stairs.

Right now, I'm confused, and hurt, and angry. The boy is obviously related to Rosto. If not his son. But he can't be more than four. This would mean that he was born while Rosto was still in Scanra. Meaning that he left this child behind, like every stupid rusher does, just like the men who'd been with my ma had done. Pox rot him! Pox rot him to the Black Gods Realm and back again. How dare he?! He said he wasn't that type of man. He wasn't that type of Rusher! But how could he leave a child of his blood with that mage-woman and just skip off to Tortall?! And that mage-woman, who is so beautiful and so trusted by Rosto, I couldn't stand it. Blonde, buxom, blue-eyed, and a full blown mage with an active gift. I threw a dagger into the wall, annoyed that he trusted her when he was dying, and couldn't trust me when he was alive.

I've been trying to keep my thoughts organized and calm while I write this, but I fear I'm going to rip a hole in the page, because of my frustration. Pounce has just let himself in. I'm going to sleep, perhaps that will diffuse this awful head-ache I have.

December 17th, 247

Morning-Just after breakfast.

Supposedly, trying to sleep with a headache was not a good idea, as it only compounded during the evening, and I managed to wake up with a skull-splitting migraine. Not fun. Pounce wrapped himself around my neck, purring, trying to make me feel better. It worked a bit, taking out most of the bite from the headache. I washed and got dressed and tip-toed quietly downstairs, careful to make no noise near Rosto's door.

Cookie had already finished a first tray of breakfast biscuits when I came down. I plunked down on a chair and he limped over. "What's wrong, love?" he says, sitting down next to me.

"Cookie, I think that boy is Rosto's son. And the implications of him having a child, gave me a headache." I put my head in my hands and he pulled me into a hug.

"Lass, you're worrying yourself sick. Dinna do that," he whispered into my hair, much like Mya used to do. "No one knows aught right now 'bout that little lad, so it dinna do you no good to fret." He rocked me a moment.

"Cookie, Tell me you have some magic remedy for head-aches," I whispered

"One or two," he said and he hugged me tighter. I felt the headache cede a little bit. "You look worn thin, lass. A little food should wipe that headache away like a blank slate." He pulled away a bit, and I laughed. Cookie thinks food is the best remedy for everything that ails you.

"Okay. But it's your fault if I eat myself so fat I can't work." I laugh a bit, and Cookie puts a kiss on my forehead afore he hauls himself up and puts food down in front of me. I tuck in, and because I know Cookie's biscuits and breakfast rolls are filled with love and warmth, I can feel the headache disappear. I even relax enough to get up and make him a cup of tea. Turns out he likes Copper Isles Red Griffin as much as I do. He and I sip the hot liquid until Rosto comes down.

He is cranky. Undoubtedly, the healing combined with his own mental turmoil has made him cranky. He's as surly as I was in pain from the headache. He doesn't say anything as he comes down the stairs, just looks at me and grunts.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," I mutter.

"Someone wasn't there to keep me company," he grumbles, insinuating that I should have been there last night.

"Don't take your crankiness out on me," I warn him, and I notice Corcoran getting up with a look on his face that says '_I don't want to be part of this fight.' _

"Two year olds are cranky." He snips at me, and I sharpen my mental dagger.

"Get used to it. You just found yourself stuck with a two year old," I say, pointedly, hoping he gets the jab. He does, and he looks at me with darts in his eyes.

"He's four," says the blonde woman, walking into the room, "keep your voices down while he sleeps, please." She says, her voice still liquid and cool. "_Dobrijo Jutro, Rikkisram." _She says to Rosto, extending a good morning without looking at me.

He greets her as well, calling her Lorena. Excellent, I thought, now I have a name with which to curse this woman into oblivion. They speak a bit, exchanging pleasantries as Kora, Aniki, Phelan, and Ersken work their way down the stairs. When Lorena is introduced to Aniki and Kora, in scanran no less, I feel my headache return with a throb. Rosto, Aniki, Kora, and Lorena are all Scarnran. And apart from myself, no one in the house speaks the language.

The only reason I know what they are saying is because I've been learning. Or at least trying to learn. I picked up a book on Scanran grammar and vocabulary when I was at my Lord Provosts house after the incident with Kashana. Kora's been helping me learn and practice. We talk in Scanran while we do our sewing and our shopping, but I've asked her to keep quiet about it because I wanted to surprise Rosto. I even learned a song in Scanran, and was going to sing it for him. But I wanted to present the song and everything only when I was fluent. But I guess now was just as good a time to let him know I could speak just as well as he could.

I listened and listened to the four of them growling in Scanran, until I could see Ersken looked panicky and confused, and Phelan looks as annoyed as I did.

"DOSTA!" I called out. "Enough with the Scanran already!" I said, mixing common and Scanran. I turned my anger on that woman, who had pretty much turned the entire household on its head. "You," I seethed, "You come here, toting that child, but you very rudely do not introduce yourself or the boy, or say why you are here. For a Patsovlieri, you are most extremely rude," I don't usually lose my cool but his has gotten me hissing mad, and I can see the woman jerk back when she not only hears my firm grasp of her language, but that I've figured out she's a patsovlieri.

"No need to shout," she says, affronted by my tone.

"No," I say, dropping my voice to that angry growl I had when I faced off the first time with Lockhorn, "You are absolutely right. There is no need to shout. But do this entire household a favor and tell us what we're all dying to hear. That boy," I say, my anger making me point to the room they were in, "You will tell us exactly who he is, and how he is related to Rosto. Right now, I have a splitting headache, and if you skip around the subject, I will personally escort you from here to the city gates, and you can go back to whatever snowdrift you came out of."

The entire room is agape at my outburst, and I can feel them all staring at me. The woman, Lorena, nods her head and I can see comprehension dawn on her face.

"I am sorry," she whispers to me, "The two of you keep your relationship so well hidden, I hadn't heard about it. My apologies to you, if I'd known Rosto had a lover I wouldn't have kept silent. I would have handled it differently. The boy is not his son," Lorena says to me, her face reading as sincere apology. I sat down.

"He's not?" I say, and I can hear Rosto echo my question.

"No, he's not. The boy is Rosto's nephew. Risaph is the son of Rosto's sister, Angelina," she says and falls quiet.

Not a word is said in response.

* * *

Continuing the Scanran-English dictionary, as devised by Lady Wolf

Dosta- Enough.

Maleni/Gavarishli puno Tortalli: See chapter 3 notes.


	5. Chapter 5: Aurisra

From the journal of Rosto the Piper,  
King of the Rogue, Corus

December 17, 247

Obscenely Early in the Morning

This is absolutely wonderful. My head is throbbing, my leg aches, and I haven't been able to sleep yet. It's still at least an hour or two before dawn, but sleep won't come to me. I don't really know why, but it's extremely irritating. As if it hasn't been enough trouble with the nightmares, this just tops it all off.

After I finished writing in my journal last night, I changed and went to bed, thinking that I would just talk to Beka in the morning if she didn't come and wake me up. I still feel totally drained from the duel and the healing. It didn't help that Lorena showed up. That just added to the problem really, even if she did save my life.

I heard Beka's footsteps on the stairs while I was writing, but she continued up to her own room and didn't come back down. The others followed not too much later, when I was mostly done. Obviously, Beka did not come back down after she went up. I get this feeling that she's extremely upset with me, and I don't blame her, to be perfectly honest.

The fact that I have kept silent about my past irks her, I know, and I can't help but feel guilty about how much I've kept from her. I'm wondering, at this point, if it's because I can't sleep that is causing all of the guilt to suddenly come crashing down. Suddenly, I feel like I've been deceiving Beka, even though I haven't. And honestly, I wish my past would stay that way – in my past. I thought I left all of this behind when I left Scanra. It seems that I didn't. Everything I thought was behind me has come back to bite me. Breno, Kashana, Lorena...just thinking about all of this is making my head hurt even more.

At this point, I know that I have to tell Beka. She'll never forgive me if I don't. I know she's probably furious with me. I heard something hard hit the wall (it was loud enough that I could hear it through the floor, obviously) after she'd gone upstairs. If I were in her position, I know I would be as mad as she is. Admittedly, I can honestly say that I'm as shocked as she is. If this boy…if he was my son, Lorena would have told me, wouldn't she? It just isn't making sense to me. Lorena and I were close once, and I still trust her. If it wasn't for her, I would be dead ten times over, or stuck in some igloo back north with a dozen children and a quiet, submissive woman that I probably couldn't stand as my wife.

If it wasn't for Lorena, I would never have left Scanra, and I wouldn't be here with Beka. I'd never have met Aniki or Kora, or become the King of the Rogue. I'd never have gotten away from those infernally irritating mothers who pestered me to marry one of their daughters. I shudder just to think of those mots. I don't know how Rikki put up with it, and he dealt with it longer than I did. Then again, Rikki's as straight as Beka or Angelina, whereas I'm not. I've always been crooked at heart.

But, in all honesty, if Beka doesn't forgive me, I don't know what I'll do. I hate the idea of living without her – I love her more than anything else in my life.

I wonder what my Court would say if they knew that I, Rosto the Piper, King of the Court of the Rogue, was (am, I should say) in love with Rebakah Cooper, the Terrier and Bloodhound of the Provost's Guard. I wonder what they would think if they knew that I would even give up my throne for her if she honestly asked me to chose between her and my throne. I wonder what would happen if they knew that there is no other mot in the world that I love more, and that I want her, and only her to be mine, to be the mother of my children.

But if she were to leave me…I don't know how, or even if, I would be able to deal with that. I told Beka back when we were alone at Port Caynn that she is what keeps me human. She's the reason I can still fight this monster my mind has created, the Rogue. If she left me, I think that would be the end of the person known as Rosto the Piper. I have fought so hard against my monster, but that would be the end of that fight. The Rogue would win, because Rosto would have nothing left to fight for.

I'm just so frustrated and tired right now. Between my nightmares and this sleepless night, I feel like I'm never going to get a decent night's sleep. At this point, the smartest thing for me to do would be to take a few days off from Court so that I can actually get some sleep.

I suppose I'm just going to have to wait it out before I decide anything. Come what may, this is certainly going to be an interesting day. I'm going back to bed to see if I can get _some _sleep tonight.

Before Court

It's already been a long day, and I've still got Court tonight. Beka seems to have clearly forgiven me. I still think I'm in trouble, though. And I can't even tell if she's going to make me sleep (or trying to, since I didn't get any sleep whatsoever last night) alone again tonight. From earlier, I think I might have gotten lucky.

By the time the sun was up, being as I hadn't gotten to sleep, I was already in a foul mood. Is it too much to ask for a decent night's sleep here?

After changing into a plain dark blue shirt and pulling my hair back into a horsetail, I made my way down the stairs. I felt thoroughly horrible between my leg, my head, and the tired ache behind my eyes that told me that I needed to sleep, even though I couldn't seem to get any. Beka was sitting at one of the tables with Corcoran, sipping that Copper Isles tea that she loves so much. All I managed was an unintelligible grunt when she looked at me as I flopped down in a chair across from her.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," she muttered, her ghost-eyes resting on my face. I could see the annoyance in her blue eyes. Of course I had woken up on the wrong side of the bed! I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, and I had been lonely all night!

"Someone wasn't there to keep me company," I retorted, narrowing my eyes slightly. She sent me a warning look.

"Don't take your crankiness out on me," she said. Corcoran stood up just then, looking like he was getting away from a battle zone. He's seen me and Beka fight in similar ways before.

"Two year olds are cranky," I told her, already thoroughly annoyed. I saw a glint in her eyes when I said that.

"Get used to it. You just found yourself stuck with a two year old," she snapped, taking a jab at me about last night. I glared at her until a voice forced my attention elsewhere.

"He's four," Lorena said as she appeared from the hallway. "And keep your voices down while he sleeps, please," she continued, like nothing was happening right in front of her. She always was like that. She turned to me, greeting me in Scanran.

"_Dobrijo jutro, _Rikkisram," she said.

"_Dobrijo jutro, _Lorena," I replied, looking down at the table for a moment in search of something to eat. I speared a couple of sausages and a roll, glancing up between her and Beka while I was at it. Beka looked less than pleased as she glared at the wall two feet away from my shoulder. I violently speared a piece of the sausage, just as displeased about the situation as Beka was. I don't like fighting with her any more than she likes fighting with me.

Lorena sat down at the counter instead of at the table with me and Beka. She made no move to join us for breakfast. It wasn't that long before Kora, Ersken, Aniki, and Phelan joined us downstairs. I wanted to formally introduce them to Lorena since there hadn't been time for that last night before she had disappeared. Not to mention, that was in front of my Court. That wouldn't have been particularly intelligent on my part. I spoke in Scanran, addressing Kora and Aniki, and introduced them. We chatted for a few minutes in Scanran before we were interrupted.

"_Dosta!"_ I turned in my seat to see that it had been Beka who had spoken. She was on her feet and glaring at Lorena. Beka had spoken Scanran. My Beka had spoken Scanran! I stared at her for a moment, honestly surprised, while she continued to shoot daggers at Lorena with her icy-eyed gaze. "Enough with the Scanran already," She continued, her tone angry. Now, Beka doesn't lose her temper often, so for her to have lost it with Lorena…she had to have been pretty mad.

"You," she hissed, her eyes fixed only on the cause of her irritation. "You come here, toting that child, but you very rudely do not introduce yourself or the boy, or say why you are here. For a _Patsovlieri_, you are most extremely rude," she said, mixing some Tortallan with Scanran for a very interesting result. Lorena stared at her, looking quiet affronted.

"No need to shout," she told Beka, using a tone I'd only heard a few times, like when I had said something I shouldn't have.

"No," Beka growled, "you are absolutely right. There is no need to shout. But do this entire household a favor and tell us what we're all dying to hear. That boy," she paused for just a moment. "You will tell us exactly who he is, and how he is related to Rosto," she said. "Right now, I have a splitting headache, and if you skip around the subject, I will personally escort you from here to the city gates and you can go back to whatever snowdrift you came out of."

I have to admit, the snowdrift comment was pretty clever. And the fact that she figured out that Lorena was a _Patsovlieri_ so fast was brilliant.

Comprehension dawned in Lorena's eyes. They flicked between me and Beka in a split second. She nodded, the understanding showing on her face. She looked Beka in the eyes again.

"I am sorry," she said softly. I don't think I've ever heard Lorena apologize to anyone before this. She always seemed untouchable in that aspect. "The two of you keep your relationship so well hidden, I hadn't heard about it," she continued. That was a relief to me. Often, I wonder if anyone has figured it out and spread it, but for it not to have gotten to Lorena, who keeps tabs everywhere, is a good sign. "My apologies to you. If I'd known Rosto had a lover, I wouldn't have kept silent. I would have handled it differently. The boy is not his son," she said softly.

I looked at her, almost not believing her (despite the fact that I desperately did want to believe her). She had to be telling the truth, though. I could see the sincerity on her face. Then a wave of relief washed over me.

"He's not?" Beka asked as she sat down again. I echoed her question, staring at my old friend.

"No, he's not. The boy is Rosto's nephew. Risaph is the son of Rosto's sister, Angelina," she replied softly. Everything went silent when she said that. Kora and Aniki glanced at me in disbelief as I gaped at Lorena. I had neglected to tell either of them much about Angelina or most of what happened before I met them. In truth, Beka's the only one I've ever told that much about my past, really. No one else really cared enough about it to ask.

I leaned back in my chair, balancing it on the back two legs, completely and utterly relieved that he – Risaph, as Lorena had called him – wasn't my son. Then a thought struck me, and a wave of worry washed over me. I sat forward, letting the chair drop to all fours again.

"Lorena, what's happened to my sister? Has something happened to Angelina?" I asked, meeting her lake-blue eyes. Lorena watched me for a moment, tilting her head slightly.

"Not that I know of, Rikkisram. She was fine when I left, but that was weeks ago," Lorena said. I was only slightly relieved. Why had she sent her son to me, of all people? Angelina knows that I went crooked not too long after arranging her marriage. I was just sick of being pestered all the time, and I'd always known that I wasn't meant to stay straight. The Court of the Rogue had always called to me.

My head gave a painful throb just then, as I was thinking. I groaned softly and put my head in my hands, leaning on the table. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to make it stop hurting. Not that that worked at all.

"What's wrong, Rosto?" Aniki asked. I put my hands down and looked at her.

"What do you think? My leg still hurts from what happened last night, and on top of that, not only did I not get any sleep, but I have a bloody awful headache," I said. I pushed my plate out of the way, leaning just a little to rest my forehead on the smooth wood.

The room was silent as my headache throbbed behind my eyes. I could literally hear my brain pounding. There were footsteps and the sound of chairs moving against the hardwood floor before I felt a cool hand on my neck.

"My mother used to get these when the stress became too much for her," I heard Beka's voice say, clearly very close. I lifted my head just a little to peak at her over my arm, which was in the way.

"How does it go away?" I asked her, sounding admittedly cranky.

"Sleep is a start," she said, sitting down next to me, and putting a hand on my cheek. She looked so tender in that moment, whatever anger I may have had this morning evaporated. She pulled me toward her, holding my head close to hers. Whispering ever so quietly so as to not compound my headache, "I'll sing you to sleep, Rosto. Then put Pounce on the door. Please. You're in too much pain to think."

I let her lead me upstairs, and I went back into my bed-clothes. She sat on the bed and in a few moments I found myself with my head in her lap, as she ran her fingers through my hair, murmuring and crooing that we'd talk more about our unusual blond house-guests as soon as I was feeling better.

"I'm sorry," I told her, looking up. My Rogue brain was saying I was too vulnerable, she could kill me a dozen different ways when I had my head in her lap like this. I told my Rogue self to beat it, he was the reason I had this blasted headache. "I never thought I'd see Lorena again. She was supposed to stay in Scanra. I never thought I'd have to mention all of my previous partners to you. Nor did I expect any of the like from you. It's just....." I paused, unsure how to finish.

"It's just that Lorena is your past, and you'd rather she stayed there," she finished for me. I couldn't help but smile at that. Beka knows me so well. That was one of the times I can say that I'm thankful for it. In this case, she knew what I was trying to say when I couldn't think of the words to use.

"Exactly, Beka. I don't want to have to keep reliving my past," I told her. "I just want to be able to live the present, to be with you." There was a soft smile on her face when I said that. She looked down at me, her blue-grey eyes so warm and caring. I lost myself in those eyes for several moments while she continued to run her fingers through my hair, brushing it back from my face and wrapping it around each finger in turn.

I love those moments where the two of us are alone and at peace like that. It doesn't happen often, but when it does…those are my favorite moments. Then we're just Rosto and Beka, no worries, no cares, just each other.

It was then, ever so softly, that she began to sing. Her voice was soft and sweet, so soothing to my aching head that I could feel myself relax bit by bit. I don't remember what she was singing, but it was beautiful, whatever it was. The throbbing came to a stop as I dropped off to sleep with my head still in her lap.

When I woke again hours later, Beka was gone, as I expected she would be. I sat up in my bed, pushing the covers off and blinked at the room groggily. I let out a sigh and let myself fall back on the pillow, closing my eyes again for a minute. For that moment, time passed slowly, as I just let myself be calm and peaceful.

With another sigh, I hauled myself out of bed, changing back into the day-clothes I'd put on earlier. I opened my door to find Pounce curled up against it, just as Beka had said. He lifted his head, looking at me with those piercing violet glims.

Pounce moved, getting to his paws and stretching in front of my door before disappearing up the stairs to the second floor without so much as a word. I shook my head as I made my way back down the stairs, wondering where Beka was. My stomach growled when I was halfway down the stairs, which made me wonder what time it was.

Aniki and Phelan were sitting at the counter talking to Corcoran when I got down there. There was no sign of Beka or Lorena. For that matter, there was no sign of anyone else. Aniki glanced at me, a slightly wary look in her eyes when I seated myself at the counter. I frowned at her. I hadn't acted that bad this morning had I?

"Are you feeling better, Rosto?" She asked. I nodded.

"Much," I responded, turning on the stool. "Where're Kora, Ersken, and Beka?" I asked. Aniki glanced at Phelan, a grin on her face.

"Told you that's the first thing he'd ask," she said to him. Phelan rolled his eyes. "Kora is out shopping, and dragged Ersken with her," she continued. "Don't know about Beka, though. Phelan and I were with Kora and Ersken until a little while ago."

"Rosto." A voice from behind me almost made me jump. I turned to see Lorena standing in the hallway to the Dove's guest rooms. She nodded her head towards the doorway to the room she was staying in. For a moment, I hesitated. Lorena seemed to see my reluctance and pursed her lips. I sighed and got up, making my way over to where she stood. "I want to talk to you in private, Rikkisram," she said. I nodded in consent. I wasn't sure that it was a conversation I wanted to have. She led me back to her room and sat down, closing the door behind us.

"Alright, Lorena, will you please tell me what's going on?" I asked, switching to Scanran to make it easier for both of us, even though I speak mostly Tortallan – Common – now.

"I already told you a good half of it this morning," she replied, taking the change in stride. "Angelina was doing fine as far as I know when I last saw her. She sent Risaph to you to protect him," she said. I frowned and cut her off before she could go on.

"To protect him? Why would she need me to protect him?" I asked. Lorena gave me a dirty look for cutting her off. She always hated it when I did that.

"You chose a good man for Angelina to marry, but his father isn't so nice. You probably remember that both your sister and her husband are dark; and you can plainly see that Risaph is certainly not. He – her father-in-law – thinks that Angelina was disloyal to her husband and that Risaph isn't legitimate. He wants to kill the poor lad, Rikkisram. It's not safe for him there anymore," she said, sitting down on the bed. There was a silence between us for a moment. "Angelina trusts you more than anyone else in the world, Rosto. You know that. She knows that you'll take good care of her son."

"How am I supposed to do that, Lorena? I'm the Patsov here, anyone with any connection to me is in danger just by that," I said. "I don't know a thing about children, much less how I'm going to make him safe when his blood relationship to me is enough to get him kidnapped or killed on my account," I told her. She watched me calmly with her bright blue eyes, her face expressionless. "Why do you think Beka and I have worked so hard to keep our relationship a secret?" She was silent for a few moments, as if she was waiting for me to be finished.

"It's not up to me, Rikkisram. Even if I do have a number of problems with the way you run your Court, this is up to you." Lorena stood up, moving closer to me again. "Now, we need to have a talk about that." Her whole demeanor changed just then. "What were you thinking, fighting that duel like that?!" She demanded, pointing her finger at me, and jabbing me in the chest with it to mark every word. I opened my mouth to answer but she gave me a look that shut me up. "You can fight better than that, and you know it!" She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at me. "I taught you to fight better than that!" I drew myself up to my full height, which was several inches taller than her.

"I am the King of the Rogue and I will not be chastised about the way _I_ want to run things," I said loftily. Lorena reached up and grabbed my ear, dragging me down to her level. "Ow! Let go!" I yelped. Lorena looked at me, appearing very displeased.

"Don't you talk to me like that, Rosto. I taught you everything you know about the Rogue, and other things besides. You will respect me, or I will teach you why I am what I am again," she hissed in my ear. "Do you understand me?" I nodded, not at all pleased.

"Yes, I understand, now will you please let go of my ear? I don't want it to be red when I have Court, Lorena." She let go, still giving me that look again. I slipped out of the room, rubbing my ear. That was the Lorena I remembered. A cove can't get away with being cheeky around her at all…

I walked back to the counter and sat down again, still rubbing my ear. Why do they _always_ go for my ear? I can't help but wonder that. I begged some lunch off of Corcoran before Beka reappeared. She smiled when I looked up as she entered the Dove. I couldn't help but grin back at her over the leftover goose from last night that had become my lunch. I stuck the last bit in my mouth as she walked over to me. She looked me straight in the eyes, still smiling slightly.

"Did sleeping help?" She asked. I could tell that she wanted to talk about something. I nodded.

"Yes, it did. Thank you, love," I said softly. I turned, thanking Corcoran, and led her up the stairs. I drew her into my room and closed the door behind us before pulling her to me. I just needed to feel her in my arms. I just wanted to hold her close and never let her go. We stood there embracing for several minutes before I let her go. "Forgive me, Beka?" I asked. I tried to convey how sorry I was for scaring her last night, for taking my crankiness out on her this morning, and for everything that I had done that had made her upset in the last few days.

"I already did," she said simply, that faint smile on her face again. I pulled her close again for a short moment.

"Thank you," I said softly, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "Anything you want to know, just ask. I'll answer what I can," I continued. An understanding flashed in her eyes.

"I can't help but wonder, why does she – Lorena – call you 'Rikkisram,' Rosto?" She asked. I chuckled softly.

"There's explanation for that one," I told her. "'Rikkisram' is a variant of the Gallan way that a child is named. Take Kora, for example. Her surname is Ingensra. It's the Gallan way of saying she's Ingen's daughter," I said. Beka frowned, probably thinking about what I've told her before.

"Rikkisram? But…" I put my finger up, making it clear that I had more to say.

"My own father died when I was five. I barely even remember him at all. Angelina was only a year old when he died. We were poor and my mother couldn't support us very well. Often, I would give her my dinner when I saw that she had no food, and I knew how hard she was trying," I paused for just a moment there, those memories flashing through my mind.

"As soon as the acceptable mourning period was over, she married again. She married a cove by the name of Rikki, who had two sons of his own and had lost his wife several years before. The older of the two was called Calyn, and the younger, who was just a few years older than me, was named after his father, Rikki. My step-father was a good man. He treated me and Angelina as if we were his own. He taught me how to hunt, to track, to ride a horse, everything. To him, I was his youngest son, and Angelina was his daughter. I can remember him telling my ma' that it didn't matter to him who had actually fathered us, we were his just as much as Cal or Rikki was. He's the only father I really remember, the only one I bothered to remember, because he was there," I said. Beka stared at me without a word for a moment. "That's why Lorena calls me 'Rikkisram' – 'Rikki's son.' Because in all but actuality, he was my father. She's the only one who calls me that, though. It's a personal sort of nickname, really."

"So that's your last name? Rikkisram. Rosto Rikkisram. I don't know if I like it. I think you look like a Rosto the Piper," Beka said, examining me with a funny look on her face. She kissed me quickly. "You taste like a song."

"So do you, love," I told her, kissing her back just as quickly.

I don't think I've ever told anyone about that part my past before. At that, I've never told Aniki or Kora about most of it. I suppose that it's just because I try to avoid telling people about my past at all. But with Beka…well, I trust Beka. I trust her in more ways than it's reasonable for me to. She nodded, thinking for an instant before she asked another question.

"Rosto, why did you trust her when you were dying?" She looked straight into my eyes when she said that. I didn't tear my gaze away until I answered.

"I trusted Lorena because we were close once. Rikki and I were both still unmarried when he was twenty-two and I was eighteen, and every mot in town wanted her daughter to marry one of the handsome brothers. They pestered both of us, like matchmaking mothers tend to do. I wasn't ready to settle down with anyone at the time, and most of them were quiet, meek little things that couldn't hold my interest," I paused, unable to stop myself from grinning at her. If anything, Beka was far from quiet and meek once you got past her shy exterior.

"I had been poking around the Rogue for a while – I was drawn to it as you were to the Dogs, and it just got to the point that I had to get rid of that 'good husband material' credibility. I started running messages for the district Rogue, Lorena. She is to the Scanran Rogue as Lockhorn is to me. Though, she had control of the Rogues within about a twenty mile radius compared to just a city. The real destruction of that credibility came when I stayed overnight at the building she held Court in. I had run three messages to her sector chief – which, in this case, is an example of my district chiefs – about ten miles away in the course of the day. Someone saw me leaving the building that morning, and word spread like wildfire: 'Rosto had gone crooked.' At that point, I hadn't even gotten as far as becoming a rusher, and it wasn't until a few weeks later that I asked Lorena to teach me." I stopped again, pausing for a moment to sit down on my bed. Beka joined me an instant later.

"Lorena taught me how to fight. She made me stronger, faster, and taught me the wiles of the Patsov's Court. By the time she was done training me, she had dubbed me the perfect rusher. The only person in the whole area that I couldn't beat was her. I was her right hand. I did everything for her, and in turn, I was rewarded by her affections. Yes, we were involved," I said when Beka opened her mouth to ask something. She closed it again when I said that.

"But we broke it off just before I was sent to the Patsov with her reports. That was when I met Kassie. Between the time when I joined her Court, and then, though, Lorena saved my life a number of times, even if she was the reason I was in danger half the time. You know the basic story of what happened with Kashana. After that relationship failed, Lorena was there when I needed a friend. She was the one who told me that there were opportunities in the South, in Tortall. I went back to the Patsov's Court, where I eventually met Kora and Aniki. You can guess the rest of the story. That's the most basic version of what's happened and why I trust her as I do. It ain't the greatest version, but I'm too tired to thrill you with my storytelling abilities," I told her with a grin.

"You know, that would make an interesting song. The Crooked Tale, the thief's ballad, the true Song of Rosto the Piper." She leaned into my side, thinking about the possibilities. "You could write it. Write everything to music, from then to now. People would listen, but no one would know if it was real or not. Sorry, I interrupted you. Continue."

"And I trust her because she made me who I am now, in more ways than one. She helped me become the best rusher I could be, and many other things besides. Lorena also taught me, when I was hurting, that only the truest of loves endure time and distance. That's what helped me get over Kassie when after we had fought and her father sent her to Galla, and then again when I saw her later on. Lorena also encouraged me that I would find someone someday, someone I loved more than anyone else in the world, who would love me in the same way. She was right in so many ways, Beka," I said. Carefully, I leaned towards her, placing a soft, sweet kiss on her lips. "I love you, Beka, and you alone. I don't think I can live without you anymore," I said softly as I pulled away. She didn't resist either action.

There were so many emotions on her face and in her eyes. There was a little bit of confusion mixed in with amazement, among the myriad of emotion in her eyes. Then, suddenly, she moved forward, pulling my face close to hers. A rush of adrenaline surged through my body as a jolt of unreasonable fear hit my heart. I relaxed, though, when she kissed me. I pulled her close, deepening the kiss.

Her arms were around my neck and mine around her waist within seconds. Slowly, she shifted her weight and was pushing me back. I chuckled without breaking the kiss. In a smooth motion, I shifted our positions, so that I was on top of her, instead of the other way around. She squeaked when I did that, not expecting it.

Within a few seconds of that, there was a knock on my door. We broke apart, and I glared at the door before getting up. Beka shifted to her feet as I went over and opened it. Lorena stood there. She glanced between me and Beka, taking note of our slightly disarrayed clothing. I raised my eyebrows at her, questioning her without a word. She gave me a slightly sheepish look, obviously knowing that she had interrupted something.

"Yes, Lorena?" I asked, since she didn't speak up.

"Your friends downstairs told me that you and Cooper were up here talking. I wanted to talk to her in private, if you don't mind." I glanced over my shoulder.

"Beka? Do you want to talk to her?" I asked. Beka bit her lip, watching Lorena for a moment before nodding.

"I'll talk to her," she said.

"Do you mind, Rosto?" Lorena asked as she moved over to the side of the doorway. I frowned at her, confused. Was she trying to kick me out of my own room? I rolled my eyes and walked away, heading down the stairs again. Kicked out of my own room. That's just absolutely ridiculous. But, that's also Lorena.

I picked up a piece of the paper I keep at my throne to write things down on if I need to in the middle of Court, and an inkwell and quill. I seated myself at one of the tables and started writing the letter to Angelina that I hadn't had time to write yesterday. I was about halfway through it when Lorena came back down the stairs. Her expression gave nothing away. She glanced at me briefly before joining me at the table. She glanced at the letter I was writing, but only for a moment.

"You two really love each other, don't you?" She asked. I nodded, feeling the edges of my lips quirk slightly.

"Very much, Lorena. I love Beka more than anything else in the world. But you have to swear that you'll never tell anyone about this, about us, unless either Beka or I say it's all right. No one would understand, and we could never be together if the world knew. Please, promise me, Lorena, that you won't tell anyone about us?" I asked pleadingly. All I could hope was that she said yes. If she refused, well, that would be the end of the secret relationship that Beka and I have. It would be forced out into the open, and our world would be turned upside down. I don't even know what would happen if that did happen. I don't want to know. I watched her face for a moment, searching for any hints in her face, unable to find anything. Then she gave me a half-smile and a knowing look.

"I promise, Rikkisram. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone," she said. Her smile did not reach her lake-blue eyes. "I'm glad that you found someone, Rosto," she said, this time, making the smile genuine. "I'll be leaving in the morning. I need to get back home. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused. That will teach me never to take you for what you seem to be again," she added with a soft chuckle. Then she rose and strode off to her room without looking back at me. When she was at the doorway, I remembered something.

"Lorena." She turned to look back at me. "Will you take something back with you for me? A gift for Angelina?" I asked. She nodded.

"Of course."

"Thank you," I said, offering her a smile. "I'll give it to you before you leave tomorrow."

Then, I picked up the ink and quill, putting them back, and took the partially finished letter back upstairs with me. Beka was still in my room, sitting by the window and looking out at the courtyard behind the Dove.

I put the paper down and made sure that I closed the door behind me again. I walked over to the window where Beka was and stood there, looking out with her. I turned slightly to watch her, to admire her. She turned her eyes from the City and met mine. A small smile appeared on her face. I moved closer and knelt down next to her, returning her smile. I reached out and softly brushed a few stray strands of her dark blond hair from her face, my gaze never leaving her face.

"We are safe, Beka, for the moment. Lorena won't tell anyone. She promised me. I don't think she will break this promise," I told her softly. I pulled her close without any resistance. She shifted in my arms, turning to face me.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Rosto," she said, the softness in her eyes all but disappearing. The look she gave me wasn't Guardswoman Cooper, it was all Beka. All annoyed Beka.

"I'm not invincible, love. But I promise," I paused there, making sure that she knew that I was being completely serious. "I won't leave you by any choice of my own. As long as I live, I will be here when you need me, Beka, right by your side. The only thing that will stop me is death. Death is the only thing that can or will keep us apart as long as you wish for us to be together. I swear it," I said solemnly, pulling back just a little to trace the sign against evil over my heart.

The ice disappeared from her eyes and she gave me a grateful look. "Thank you, Rosto," she said softly, leaning against me again, with her head on my chest.

After Court

Brian is such a pain. Now he's stuck on the scene Lorena made with Risaph last night. First it was that I was exhausted, so he teased me about Beka, and now he's entirely decided that Risaph is mine and that I must be teased. I'm going to have to teach him a lesson, and it has to be better than getting dumped in the rover again.

Basically, everything went smoothly, though there was a great deal of gossiping and glances shot my way. This is the only thing I hate about my Court sometimes. Everything I do gets talked about, and they never let me forget it.

Something has to change here. They aren't respectful of me at all anymore. Deerborn never had this problem. Not like this anyway – his problem was that his laziness and lack of willingness to get off his bum and to something caused everyone around him to become disloyal. I suppose I can partially blame Turpan for all of these problems. He was the one spreading them after all. Now that he's gone, maybe I can get my Court back under control sometime soon.

Where was I? Oh yes, Brian being annoying. After Beka had gone off to baton practice, I made my way downstairs. I had let her choose my shirt again tonight, since I seem to have better luck when she does. Tonight, she had chosen a bronze that I had bought recently and hadn't yet worn to Court.

I seated myself at my throne, signaling for Corcoran to open the door. People filtered in as usual, shooting glances at me as they did. Everything proceeded as normal until things were almost over. It was almost time for the changing of the Watch for the Dogs, and I was tired. At the time, I was pondering heading upstairs early, to get ready for bed.

That was when Bold Brian swaggered up to my throne, looking pleased with himself. Far too pleased for comfort.

"Just walk away, Brian," I said. "You don't want to do that tonight." His expression dimmed just a little, but he ignored the comment for the most part.

"So, your majesty, how's your lady love taking your illicit love child? You know, the one from the other day? The Lady Dove?" I wanted to hurt him for saying that, because the room went mostly silent and the room turned to stare at me and Brian. I shot him a glare out of the corner of my eye and got up, making sure he knew that he was to follow me. I led him to the back courtyard.

"Brian. I need to have a private discussion with you, if you'll follow me," I told him, getting up from my seat and moving toward the kitchen. "What, not coming?" I said, when I didn't hear his footsteps behind me.

"You ain't gonna throw me in the river again? It's bloody cold outside," he whimpered, shuffling from foot to foot.

"No, Brian. I will not be throwing you in the river. Please step this way." I could see he still didn't believe me. "On my word, and in front of all these witnesses, I swear I will not throw you in the river. Better?" He nodded and followed me through the kitchen and out the back door.

Once there, and making sure that the door to the inn was closed behind him, I turned to glare at him. Fast as lightning, I whipped out the dagger that I keep at the small of my back and shoved Brian into the nearest wall, keeping the point close to the vein and the blade across his throat. He swallowed very carefully, cutting back a whimper. I gave him a dangerous chuckle.

"Brian," I said quietly, "Do you know why I'm doing this? Why I've got a dagger to your throat?" I asked him, wondering if he'd shake his head. He didn't but his eyes showed the fear. "I don't want to do this Brian. I like you. You're a jovial man, and a good ally. Strong and fair in a fight. But my people need to be smart. When you blabber, and make comments like that, you cut me down in front of my Court. It makes me look stupid and I'm not stupid, nor should you be. Does that make sense?" He nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Good, see I knew you was smart. Here's what I want you to do," I leaned the blade ever so gently against the bob in his throat, and I felt him tense and his eyes close. "I want you to stop it. You need to keep your comments to yourself in front of the Court of the Rogue, understand? And to answer your question, the lad isn't mine, and Lady Dove is taking it as well as can be. Leave her out of it, Brian. She doesn't need coves like you trying to force her into the Court. And I swear, if you do not listen to me this time, you will regret it. I won't be as forgiving as I have been in the past. I will hurt you. You don't want to be a street-beggar this time of the year, do you?" I made sure that my voice and expression were calm the whole time. If I got mad, that would only prove his point and dig the hole deeper. He shook his head, telling me that in no uncertain terms did he want to be a mumper. "You'll be good?" I took the blade back a notch.

He nodded.

"Say it." I commanded him, steel in my voice, the edge icy.

"I'll behave, your majesty. I dinna want to be a mumper. I like working for you, and I'd hate to lose my job acos of sommat stupid. I just dinna think that sort of teasing was that bad, tha's all. I'm sorry, sir." He said it all very quietly.

"Only those closest to me are allowed to tease in that way. You know me, but we're not that close friends." I told him, letting him go. He exhaled, rubbing his neck to make sure it was all in one piece.

"Are you that close with the Terrier?" he asked, still rubbing his neck.

"The Terrier and I are equals, or as much equals as is possible to be. She is a skilled Rat-catcher and I'm a skilled Rat. Between myself and the Terrier, the language is a game of wit. With you, it is insolence. Does that make sense?" I told him, choosing my words carefully.

"Yes, sir." He mumbled, looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Good. You may go inside now, Brian. It's cold," I told him, and he scampered in through the kitchen door. He'll tell people what happened. Not the knife bit, but what he learned from me and about me.

I went back to my throne, leaning on the armrest and took care of the rest of my business before coming upstairs. I did see Beka come in right before I headed up. And if I'm not mistaken, I think I can hear her footsteps coming down the stairs.


End file.
